Short Story Wednesday Review: The West: Land of Opportunity (A Collection) by Johnny Gunn

  

Growing up, westerns were a big deal in my house. If Glen Ford or John Wayne made a movie, the whole family was soon inside at NorthPark Cinema, or at one of the local drive-ins, to watch it. I got my love of westerns from dad, but he never read them even though he read like crazy as did my mom. I never understood that.

 

Dad also never read short story collections. It was huge that he read mine, Mind Slices. So, I am pretty sure he would not read this one even though he would be missing out. The West: Land of Opportunity (A Collection) by Johnny Gunn, illustrated by Barabash Sviatoslav, is a good one and well worth reading.

 

After a very brief introduction by the author, the short story collection opens with “Talking Tod Taylor.” Corporal Thaddeus Todd Taylor is known for telling a lot of stories. Most are unbelievable. The arrival of General Whalen of whom Taylor claims to have fought with over the years might provide some answers.

 

The Wind never stops in “Growing Cows out of the Wind.” Nick Jenkins couldn’t take the relentless wind anymore and quit the Bar JC. At least, he thought he did. Hank seems to think otherwise.

 

Ryan Pollack spent three years in prison, now he is out in “He Knows Horses.” He has two dollars in his pocket, a five mile walk to the town of Spencerville, and the promise that he made himself that he will never go back to prison. He also knows horses. That will come in handy soon.

 

Jacob Chance just rode into “Four Corners” and hardly anyone noticed as it is a bit of a cross roads and frequented by many travelers. They might have paid more attention if they had known he is a Deputy US Marshal in town on a very specific assignment.

 

Rancher Sam Poster and his foreman, Doc Jensen, are very much aware that their herd is being trailed by a couple of guys who are probably up to no good. In “Not This Time” they know the men following them can’t steal the 700 steers on their own as Poster and Jensen also have other men watching over the herd as they move to market. But, those guys are up to something no doubt, and Poster and Jensen have no idea what they plan.

 

Life has been tough for the man known as Old Sam Gephardt. He is a fixture in the Rim Rock. It is a cold and windy spring morning as “Old Sam and the Wagon” begins, and all he wants is some whiskey. He might be able to tell a few stories about his past and get that much needed drink.

 

Little Sandy MacTavish, at 73, is never going to be five feet tall. Back in the day, he rode, the horses in many places and even raced at the Kentucky Derby. He likes to tell stories, as he drinks, and he has a good one about what went on with the governor the day before in “Sandy’s Tall Tale.”

 

The man grunts and babbles and can’t be understood by anyone. That is except for Marlene Jacobson, who is the wife of the owner of the café. In “Sign Talker” she knows how to communicate with him and unlocks a fabulous history.

A cattle drive is also part of “A Fine Drive.” It a spring morning in Nevada and Sam Tyson loves his work. He and his crew will move a thousand head of cows and steers to the summer pasture. Tyson is 80 and has spent his whole life building the ST into what it is now. He is also very aware that he is getting too old for cattle drives.

 

There are aspects of Sheriff Peter Moresby’s job that he really does not like. One those aspects is having to put friends in jail. But, that is exactly what the good sheriff of Nye County, Nevada, is going to have to do in “Rage on the Range.” He is also going to have to ride out to a certain ranch and make sure everything and everybody is okay. That is going to get harder as a winter storm is on the way.

 

Nobody in Perkins, Nebraska, is going to sell the kid a drink. In fact, nobody in the small town is going to deal with the teen. They certainly don’t like his attitude in “The Original Wyoming Kid.” He thinks he knows the score having read a lot of fiction about hard men and gunslingers. He is clueless. He may not live long enough to get a clue.

 

Three-Finger Jack is a miner by trade. Over six feet, he was just forced to kill a man as “Three-Finger Jack” opens. He certainly did not want that to happen. The bar owner and the body of the dead man provide company for Three-Finger Jack as he thinks about the past and waits for the sheriff.

 

Old Tom Williams, a ranch hand, tends to collect stuff. These days, one might call him a “hoarder.” But, it isn’t hoarding if the stuff serves a purpose. It definitely does in “Odd Tom’s Roll of Wire.”

 

Terrell O. K. Okane, Silas O’Malley, and Sonny Jameson busted out of the jail in Green River, Wyoming, about a week ago. The three are riding together in “Failure at Montello.” There has been friction from the start as each outlaw thinks he is best with a gun. The inevitable is going to happen unless things change.

 

Fourteen-year-old Grady does not know if he should run or stay in hiding. Sheriff John McGinty and Juan Valdez are having a confrontation out in the street in front of the general store. The fuse has lit on the main street in Santa Ricardo County and things are uncertain for all. Grady is witness to local history in “The Valdez Event.”

 

He likes getting up and about early in the morning in “Cow Camp Morning.” Those moments before they hit the trail are precious and he appreciates them.

 

His name is John David. His friends call him Jack. His teacher is not happy in “Miss Summers’ Lessons.” Neither is his mom. She has a very good reason too.

 

The little town of Justin’s Hole sits below the craggy peaks of the Elk Range. Three men are on that trail heading into town in “Justin’s hole.” They are bringing supplies and the locals need very last thing that is coming. Geoff Dawson is running things now on the receiving end and has some changes in mind that won’t sit well at all.

 

Known to his friends as “Tracker” the man is a bounty hunter. He and his horse, Spot, are looking for a place to spend the night when they see a fireball come in through the low clouds and crash into a nearby mountain. Of course, that has to be investigated as it might be valuable in “Horse Sense.” This short story brings the book to a close.

 

The 19 tales in the collection are all good ones. Some have been printed before while others indicate they are new here. All feature interesting characters, mostly regular people, going about their lives, and dealing with circumstances they often have no control over. 

The illustrations by Barabash Sviatoslav provide a nice touch.

 

The result, The West: Land of Opportunity (A Collection) by Johnny Gunn via Condor Publishing is a fun and interesting read. Those who like western short stories are sure to find a lot to appreciate in this book. 

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/45B1U0w  

 

 

My reading copy came from the publisher.

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2024