PIONEERS: Reflections of a Black Cowboy

The third in Miller's ""Reflections of a Black Cowboy"" series introduces such nearly-forgotten figures as York, a slave who guided the Lewis and Clark expedition; Pony Express rider George Monroe; Ed Rose, known as ""Cut-Nose"" after Mike Fink bit off that appendage in an epic battle; and Biddy Mason, who spent most of her life as a slave but ended up as a wealthy citizen of Los Angeles. In the persona of an old black hermit up in the hills talking to his dog, the author tells his tales informally, basing them on published accounts (there's a solid bibliography) but supplying his own dialogue and detail. Linoleum prints effectively dramatize the high spots. Lively historical writing, despite the invented speeches and hokey narrative device.