THE LONGHORN TRAIL

by Kenneth Ulyatt ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1968

From Texas to the Chugwater in Wyoming on the just-blazed Goodnight-Loving Trail with Portugee John Phillips of North Against the Sioux (published as adult, 1967)-300+ pages with the detail of a documentary and the historic personae of a pageant. And with a message; Texas cattle to stock the plains, replacing the vanishing buffalo as food for the restricted Indians of the north and, via the new Union Pacific, for white men in the east. The story lags while Mr. Ulyatt serves history and supplies Portugee with an antagonist in the person of wanton buffalo killer Holderness, but the drive is inspiriting--2000 longhorns on the move led by four wet (because they like water) steers, one rider with the remuda up front, others patrolling the flanks or prodding the drag, what might be the original chuckwagon bringing up the rear. First and worst obstacle are the Staked Plains; there are also Comanches to circumvent, Arapahoes to stand up to, settlers afraid of Texas fever to face down, a stampede to stop, and finally, for Portugee in sight of home, arrest on trumped-up charges by Holderness. He and the charges are disposed of when the Sioux attack the end of the railroad line and Portugee leads a party to the resene. It's a long trail and the book has an equally formidable look; primarily for YA collections that succeeded with the first.

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1968

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Prentice-Hall

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1968

Categories: FICTION