The Day the Cowboys Quit
by Elmer Kelton
Afterword by James W. Lee

In 1883 the cowboys of the Canadian River country went on strike against the big ranches. In this gripping novel, Kelton uses that little-known incident to focus on the changes brought to ranching by the big syndicates. They fenced the range and replaced traditions and trust with written rules of employment. From the cowboys’ point of view, they changed things “that ought to be left alone.” Wagon boss Hugh Hitchcock, caught between loyalty to his boss and responsibility to the men he leads, stands for the best of the cowboys, a man trying desperately to do what is right.  

ELMER KELTON is the author of over forty novels. Several have won Spur Awards from Western Writers of America and Western Heritage (Wrangler) Awards from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. He has been honored by the Texas Institute of Letters, WWA, and the Western Literature Association for lifetime achievement.

Texas Tradition Series: Number 7