“Man on the Wagon Tongue by Elmer Kelton

 

For Coley’s skin was as black as a moonless night.

Maybe one reason Hall had held his silent so long was that the other cowboys accepted Coley and rode alongside him as if he were the same as the rest of them. The only time you could tell his color meant anything was around the wagon at night, and at mealtime. Coley always toted his bedroll out to the edge of camp, a little apart from the others. Come mealtime, he waited till last to take his plate, and he only sat on the wagon tongue, to himself. Nobody had ever told him he had to, and likely no one would have said anything to him if he hadn't. But he had spent his boyhood in slavery. He would carry the mark of that, even to the grave. He remembered, and he presumed little.

One of Mr. Lewis’ 100 Best Western Story selections.

It is a tail of prejudice on a cattle drive.

I’m of two minds regarding this tale.

The first mind sees the above passage and all others that deal with the day-in, day-out experiences of Coley and the begrudging Hall as tersely limned and mature in observation.

The second mind views the descent to formula shoot-out and redemption of views as a little less than satisfactory.

It can be read that Hall’s “acceptance” comes only after having his life saved, that is, a response to a debt.

It seems to me, that an acceptance of Coley as a man on his own terms may have kicked this one into an A level for this reader, but that is not the path it takes.

With that said, it is still a solid B Western.