The Dead Man's Boots

Yes, Virginia. There really was a town in western Kansas where the dancehall girls stripped down to their waists and rode out to welcome the cowboys on an incoming cattle drive. Many little known but true facts about the Old West are included in this realistic, but fictional novel "The Dead Man's Boots." For instance, ranch country seldom had enough trees to provide firewood. Most food was cooked over a fire burning dry cow chips, otherwise known as cow patties. Jobs were hard to come by in the years following the Civil War. The young men in this book hoped they would be lucky enough to land a job on a cattle drive beginning in south Texas and ending at one of the railheads in Kansas. The work would be long and hard, but it would provide them with more exciting memories than most people have in their entire lifetimes. Wild animals, wild horses, and a few wild women are waiting to help them grow into men. Much like in modern times, the Old West was filled with all kinds of people-good, bad and in-between. Ken Jones was determined that "The Dead Man's Boots" be realistic, therefore there are some adult situations and language. Ride the adventure filled trail with three grown boys away from their home for the very first time. This is a Western you are sure to remember for a long time.