“The Gift of Cochise” was originally published in Colliers Magazine in 1952. John Wayne read it and purchased the rights to the story for $4,000. He asked James Edward Grant to write the screenplay. Grant changed the story a fair amount. In 1953, the movie—titled Hondo—came out, starring the Duke. On the same day, a novelized version of the screenplay, written by L’Amour, was also released.