There's a short-short here that is worth the price of the book - a story of a coon hunt and how first the coon and then the dogs took a man for a tree. It illustrates that somewhat wacky colloquial humor characteristic of this regional piece - or more accurately pieces - with the Hi-Lo country in New Mexico as the focal point. There are some repeat figures from The Rounders (1960-see p. 439), but the central character this time is Big Boy Matson, a giant figure and Hi-Lo's fabulous favorite (both loved and hated best) son. Unorthodox Western- episodic.