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The Log of a Cowboy

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A Narrative of the Old Trail Days



(1903)



"Our cattle also shall go with us."—Exodus iv. 26.





I am fascinated with roads ... their origins and the relationship between geography, humanity, flora and fauna. This book, while fiction, is written from first-hand knowledge of ten years on the trail. Andy Adams is a captivating writer; while this is not a page-turner, I found myself stealing minutes and then hours to read about the adventures of driving a herd of 3,000 cattle from southern Texas to Montana. The nerve, physical agility, ability to live in the raw elements, the world of men, the tests of courage are all testaments to the backbone of the American spirit. I appreciated that it lacked profanity or violence. Andy Adams was born in Indiana and had my Midwestern values. He was willing to have a good time in Ogalalla while heading the counsel and advice of his foreman. Well worth the read. Hollywood can't capture the authenticity of this writer. I'll probably read more of Andy Adams' works and check out Route 183 to see the terrain. I'm sure that it will match his description and I will make a visceral connection to the cattle drive experience.--Submitted by Pam Riedy


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The Book and I

I relate personally to this book, not because I am related to the author, but because I grew up at a place where the trail passed, and I began reading the book when I was seven. I have read it several times. My place on the cattle drive is in chapter 4, "The Atescosa". I grew up along the banks of the Nueces, the Frio and Atescosa. When I was young I wished I could be a cowboy. When I grew up I decided that it was too hard a life for me. Nueces and Frio are Spanish words I have always known. Atescosa has always puzzled me. Recently I have been told it means "mud hole". That is appropriate since it has very little water in it most of the time. The Atescosa and a hurricane provided enough water to flood the entire town of Three Rivers, Texas in the 1960s. I was on the cleanup crew and saw the devastation. I welcome comments. I especially want the meaning of Atescosa confirmed and want to hear from other people who live or lived on the trail described in The Log of a Cowboy. The book is fiction but it represents reality very closely. Philip Hudson

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