Deal Me In Story #3: Buffalo Horns by Arthur Winfield Knight

The Montanans edited by Bill Pronzini

Card Drawn: Q♠

Anthology: The Montanans, edited by Bill Pronzini and Martin H. Greenberg

Story: “Buffalo Horns,” by Arthur Winfield Knight, 1991

For the first western short story of the Deal Me In Challenge, “Buffalo Horns” was a bit unusual. The story takes place in 1929 in Hardin, Montana. Not exactly the heart of the West. But that’s the point of this story, I guess. It’s a wistful look back at a time gone by, more of a vignette than a story. It’s beautiful in its own way, but not the kind of story I was hoping for. It probably would have struck me more poignantly if I had read it in order, since it comes towards the end of the anthology. Maybe after reading a bunch of traditional stories of the West, Knight’s story of an aging train robber would have had a greater impact.

 

My Rating: ⭑⭑⭑✩✩

 

Deacon Nick

Nick Senger is a husband, a father of four, a Roman Catholic deacon and a Catholic school principal. He taught junior high literature and writing for over 25 years, and has been a Catholic school educator since 1990. In 2001 he was named a Distinguished Teacher of the Year by the National Catholic Education Association.

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