The rivers of the Texas Panhandle, the Canadian, and the forks of
the Red break through the Cap Rock at the eastern edge of the
Staked Plains. It's rough, bleak country, with few trees and a
great expanse of sky. Storms that form on the Great Plains and in
the Rocky Mountains sweep through with nothing much to slow them
down. And the small dusty towns that serve this vast ranchland
cling to the waterways as they have for over a hundred years, since
their early settlement. Their names aren't well known now, but they
were once focal points in a rugged country where buffalo hunters,
trail drivers, outlaws, and ordinary folks alike passed through.
Rufe LeFors was one such "ordinary" man. With his father and older
brothers, he was among the first to settle this country, drawn to
West Texas by tales of open land and good grass. His life story,
set down near the end of his long and adventurous life, is the best
sort of insider's history, the chronicle of a life lived fully amid
the exciting events and rough landscape of the frontier's final
years. Rufe LeFors recorded his story over the course of a decade,
finishing up in 1941 in his eighty-first year. His memoirs span the
period from the War between the States to the early twentieth
century, when the Panhandle was still scarcely settled, a true
frontier. In his time LeFors was trail driver, pony express rider,
and rancher. He traveled for a year with Arrington's Texas Rangers,
and he wore the badge of deputy sheriff in the wild west town of
Old Mobeetie. He rode a fast horse after claims in the Cherokee
Strip, spent time as a horse trader, and finally settled in Lawton,
Oklahoma, where, after some twenty years as a deputy, he was
elected to the office of sheriff. LeFors knew how to tell a story.
Whether it is an account of an outlaw's capture or the rescue of a
white girl from prairie fire by a Comanche brave, he weaves into
his narrative all the color, drama, and character of the event. His
version of the death of Billy the Kid adds another perspective to
that much celebrated episode in western history. His encounters
with Temple Houston, the governor's flamboyant son, rancher Charles
Goodnight, and Ranger Captain Arrington add to our fund of
knowledge about those legendary frontier figures. LeFors wanted to
get the facts-as he remembered them-straight. With his sharp eye
for texture and detail and keen ear for language and timing, he
created a narrative that wonderfully captures the flavor of his
life and exciting times.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
(1)
(2)
