The Hart Brand

When a boy comes to be 14, it's high time he starts to earn his keep (in 1896 anyway), so Caleb Hart gets packed off on a train from St. Louis to his uncle Captain Frank Hart's ranch in New Mexico. Before leaving, Caleb is counseled by his father that he "rides for the brand," and he'd best not forget it. Once in the frontier territory, Caleb learns the ins and outs of cowboying from the seasoned hands of the Hart brand. Among the revelations: real cowboys wouldn't be caught dead in denim; the proper way to kill a rattlesnake is to whip it with your lariat rather than shoot it; and rustling thieves are a plague upon the territory. When the rustling turns to killing, the various brands in the region band together, deciding to adopt a more posse-oriented means of justice. Boggs writes with a drawling assurance, maintaining a keen eye for the details of life on the range.