THE ONE-EYED SKY

These three stories are by a genuine Westerner, whose books have sold to Hollywood. The title story is about two coy, corny cowhands, one of whom is scheming to get the other married to a rich wife. It is arch, artificial, full of Hollywood-type jokes, and fairly dreadful. It has been bought by the movies. The second story is about an old coyote and her pups, attacking an old cow and her calf who is rescued by a cowboy. There is good and real material in this tale although the plot is rather contrived. The last story, My Pardner, is worth the whole book. It is an engaging, informed; picaresque account of a boy and a worldly-wise old cowhand, Bobbs, who take a herd cross country and who survive rattlesnakes, quicksand, hunger and the schemes of local ranchers on the strength of Bogg's superior knowhow. Boggs is the eternal con man, Western style, and his wisdom and deceit is consistently entertaining.