Tall Tales from Texas Cow Camps (Mody Coggin Boatright)

 

The best part about my Summer Reading Challenge is that it introduces me to titles that I would never have picked up otherwise.  Case in point, this little book: Tall Tales from Texas Cow Camps by Mody C. Boatright.  I found this by chance, searching for "tall tales" on Project Gutenberg.

The book is actually a collection of short stories. Each follows a team of cowhands, Joe, Red, Hank, and their greenhorn companion, Lanky.  Each night, as the group settles in for a well-deserved rest, Joe, Red, or Hank will start in with some sort of anecdote or interesting story, and the other two will attempt to outdo him with increasingly outlandish tales, all presented as though they were God's own truth.  Lanky, probably not much more than a boy himself, is a perfect stand-in for the reader, and we're all drawn deeper and deeper into crazy fun tales, like what happened to a man who had a rattlesnake bite his wooden leg, and of course, the wild tales of Pecos Bill.  

If you're looking for these sorts of stories (tall tales, really) or something featuring cowboys, the west, and good masculine fun, then this is a book that I'd certainly recommend.  It was a real quick read, too, and a lot of fun to sink my teeth into.