Classic Western Literature

Francis Bret Harte (1839-1902) was an American short story writer and poet, best remembered for his short stories set against the background of the California gold rush. He himself set off at the age of 15 to become a gold miner and absorbed the rough atmosphere of the mining camps, which he used as a setting against which the interplay of human emotions stands out poignantly. 'Miggles' is an outstanding example of his humorously tender style which made his stories so popular.

Poker Flat is cleaning house. John Oakhurst is allowed to leave of his own accord along with a few others who didn’t quite match society’s ideals. Maybe they got off good. Others had been hung from nearby sycamore trees. Who was good? Who was bad? Who was innocent? Questions to ponder as you listen to this classic short story narrated by Glenn Hascall.

The classic tale in which a drunken cowboy passes out on a barroom floor and to his horror awakes to finds he's on a train bound for hell.

In Agatha Christie’s short story, “The Adventure of "The Western Star,” Poirot investigates the case of a missing diamond, “The Star of the East”, belonging to Lady Yardly. But what is the connection between it and a similar diamond owned by the famous American film actress Mary Marvell? And why does a Chinese man want it returned? This short story originally appeared in the April 11, 1923 issue of The Sketch magazine.

After a life of crime, Azri's found a calling as a Weapons Caster, notorious for their powerful dusters and ability to assemble guns only a Weapons Caster can handle. When his old partner in crime comes to town looking for his missing wife, and involves a jealous guild member, Azri may find himself in over his head. The rules of a Caster are strict, but harboring a criminal should be the least of his worries.

Here is a tale that concerns the incredible power of friendship. The movie Tennessee's Partner (1955), starring John Payne and Ronald Reagan, was based on this story.

A successful dragon drive two months ago should have filled Buck Johnson's and Skeeter Evans' pockets. And it did - for a few weeks. Now they're back to wrangling dragons to recoup their losses, attempting to round up unclaimed dragons in the mountainous Leptok Territory. But rogue dragons and just sheer bad luck make this little venture more challenging than either of them expected.

Buck, Snort, and Skeeter are still trailing a herd of dragons to Skrintax in hopes of selling them for enough to get off Terul and maybe get better pay, easier work, and something to drink. But the obstacles keep mounting - including a tcheka-smoking interlude, hungry dragons, insolent Terullians, and... well, you'll see.

Buck Johnson: The Dragon Drive? is the second short story in the Buck Johnson series. This time Buck and Skeeter and Snort are trailing a herd of dragons to Skrintax. If everything goes as planned, they'll sell the dragons for a good price and finally be able to get off Terul. But things seldom go as planned, especially when dragons are involved.