In 1947, Teague illustrated the 5-part serial Sweet Water by Dick Pearce. In Sweet Water, protagonist Jim Lineer has been hired by railroad magnate H.H. Edwards to build a section of railroad through southern New Mexico. Lineer arrives to find he will be second in command to Edwards’ impulsive adopted son, Tracy Thomason. Thomason is engaged to Edwards’ daughter Barbara, and he has brought her along on the journey. Lineer takes an immediate shine to Barbara. Add two local land barons and their foremen into the mix, and the stage is set for drama and conflict. Sweet Water was subsequently published as a book under a different title, Hell or High Water (Desert Steel). There is no relationship between Pearce’s book and the Netflix movie of the same name.
Sweet Water contains one of Teague’s best saloon fight scenes, and several other illustrations where he utilizes an interesting perspective to great effect. Sweet Water is presented in its entirety below. Story text has been omitted for a cleaner presentation.