Book Summary:
This historically based fictional novel tells on a pair of working cowmen and their exploits in the American old west. This story chronicles a veteran cowhand, Patrick O’Connor, (Ornery) and his tenderfoot saddle partner, Francis Slimmery, (Slim), and how they made their way west to come into the steady employment of the ranch known as the, “O U T (Oh-Ewe-Tee) Spread”. Further told is how the two main characters come to deal with life, contending; with their critters (cows), the elements of nature, the lay of the land, outlaws, wildlife, their friends, calico-friends, and each other, all the while toiling to tame their corner of the prairie west. Conveyed are the simple, but oft’ humorous and life like escapades of these two laboring cow-saddlers, as they commence to ply their cow craft for the “brand”. The setting for these accounts is far less fictional, and transpires on the very real North American frontier, circa 1880’s. Told about as well is the time-honored cowboy code, one pervasive to the people of this era and played out by the two central figures. These tales dabble in the daily deeds, trials, and tribulations of nearly every aspect of a cowman’s existence during that period. The anecdotal activities are set to expose the full range of endeavors, from the slow and arduous boredom of ranch chores, to the split second moments of hair-raising and life-threatening perils oft’ encountered along the trails. The chapters in this story are intended to rekindle the feeling of an old west evening around the campfire, filled with tales of cowboy adventures, escapades packed with; love and luck, kinship and hardship, calamity and triumph, wisdom and self-exploration, all via the exploits of these two saddleback heroes and their friends. All this, and shared in the old-fashioned American story-telling tradition.
