Trail Drive

By James Rice

ACCELERATED READER SELECTION

Texas Jack, the jackrabbit, sez that after the Civil War, millions of
Longhorn cattle roamed the plains of Texas, and that cowboys would herd the
cattle and bring them to markets 1,000 miles to the North.This is what they
called a Trail Drive. Many cowboys would perform special jobs to get the cattle to market safely.
Scouts would ride ahead of the herd to look for the best routes to take. Point,
swing, flank, and drag riders would keep the herds together and guide them along
the trails. The night hawk's job was to circle the herd and keep it bedded down
at night. Sometimes, he would even sing or play the harmonica to keep the herd
calm. The most versatile cowboy was the chuck wagon cook. In addition to cooking
two hot meals a day, he also performed the duties of a doctor, barber, dentist,
repairman, and sometimes even an entertainer. The cowboys encountered many dangers along the way. Stampedes at night,
which could feel like earthquakes, were the scariest things on the drive. Dust
storms, thunderstorms, flash floods, and cattle thieves were some of the other
dangers and obstacles that the cowboys had to face. But Texas Jack sez that the
cowboys loved what they did and that they would not trade their way of life for
anything. James Rice is widely acclaimed as the South's leading creator of juvenile
books. With more than 1,000,000 copies of his books in print, he ranks among the
nation's top authors and illustrators for juveniles.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1565541634
• ISBN13: 9781565541634
• Release Date: September 1996
• Publisher: Pelican Publishing Company
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.8" x 11.3"
• Age Range: 6 to 9 years
• Grade Range: Grades 1 to 4