The Last American Cowboy
by
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Occasionally, the boys got a glimpse of the large thunderheads that were now forming over the mountain. It became more difficult for the horses because the floor of the snarlie had narrowed to about ten feet across and at times the boulders and piles of rotted trees made footing nearly impossible. Often, smaller snarlies joined in from both sides.
“Maybe they went into one of the side ravines,” said Shorty.
“Maybe,” said Clem, “but let's keep going and see where this one ends up.”
“Look,” said Clem, “those are mountain lion tracks.”
“There’s no deer in here,” said Clem. ”What are they in here for?”
“I’ll tell you,” said Shorty, “they’re after the foals, the sons-a-bitches.” Suddenly the ravine seemed to just dead end. In front of them were some large rocks the size of small houses. The boys looked at each other in disbelief, puzzled.
“Shorty!” whispered Clem, “look, there’s a horse track......hey, those tracks are going behind one of the boulders. Let’s get off and walk.”
The two dismounted and led their horses against the wall of the snarlie and around the boulder. Sure enough, the canyon continued on. It entered what appeared to be a large cave, but as their eyes adjusted to the darkness they could see light at the far end. The floor of the tunnel was solid rock. The sound of the shod hooves of the horses on the rock in the tunnel was nearly deafening. The boys’ eyes were wide as they stared straight ahead, anxious about what they were soon going to see. Suddenly, the tunnel opened into the daylight and before them lay a broad valley with scattered groves of aspen, patches of tall grass and occasional small pools of water and springs. The aspen were green and some had leaves that were turning golden and orange due to the cold nights at the base of
The valley floor was about 500 yards across and maybe 1500 yards long. There were snarlies and small ravines leading out of the valley in several directions. It appeared that a large earthquake may have split the southern portion of the mountain which may have caused some volcanic activity explaining the yellow soil, ash, and sand that had, over the years, washed out and led to the formation of the snarlies. The volcanic soil seemed productive but the periodic floods refused to allow much growth. By the time the two were satisfied with the scenery, the thunderheads were now over the top of them and they could see rain high upon the mountain. Bolts of lightning could be seen hitting near the peaks of the mountain.
“If we don’t get out of here soon,” said Shorty, “we’ll be stacked up with all that rotten timber somewhere down one of these snarlies.” But the horses seemed reluctant to leave.
“What is it,
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About the Book
This book details the story of a young man, a fictional character, Clem Barnett, during the late 1940’s and 1950’s, raised as a boy in the mid-west with dreams and visions, based on romantic books and movies, of being a cowboy in the West. He finds himself venturing far from his home in northeastern Oklahoma to hire–out on two very different ranches; first, one in Montana and later, one in Idaho. There, he learns about ranching, the cattle business, and most importantly, about life. He also learns what the modern, for the time period, cowboy is and how it differs greatly from his romantic vision. He faces many adventures and interacts with a host of colorful characters in search of his dreams. Because the story occurs in the early 1950’s, the young man is faced with the horrors of participating in the Korean War, and more importantly, facing the emotional effects thereafter. Unlikely characters assist in his recovery and he gains respect and love for the people of the Basque culture who helped him. The story ends with a simple love story and a realization that dreams can be elusive. In the end, he finds peace and happiness and seems to come close to living the life of the romantic cowboy he envisioned. Others see in him a person who so loves the life of a cowboy and confers upon him the title of the last romantic, real life, American Cowboy.
About the Author
Dr. Mike R. Dunbar, veterinarian, wildlife biologist, and ex game warden, grew up in northeastern Oklahoma, obtained a Master of Science degree in wildlife ecology from Oklahoma State University and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery from Washington State University. He spent many years working in the wilds of Idaho, Utah, Nevada, and Oregon and worked on cattle ranches in Idaho and Montana. Although this is Dr. Dunbar's first novel, he has published numerous scientific articles. He now lives with his wife, Sherry, in Colorado and is working on his second fictional novel.