THE LAST RUNNING. A Story. Drawings by John Groth

Graves, John

ISBN 10: 155821061X / ISBN 13: 9781558210615

Published by Lyons & Burford(1990), New York, 1990

About this Item

Small 4to. An old Comanche named Starlight comes from Oklahoma to Texas with eight patriots and demands of old Tom Bird the largest of his buffalo, which the indians eventually kill, in less than graceful manner, and then head home. Such is the bare frame of this remarkable story, filled with remembranes of old raids, narrow escapes, days of intense confrontation and bold blood, now gone. "It is a classic in its idea," says A. C. Greene, "and an artistic masterwork in its fulfillment." The text is handsomely illustrated with drawings by the late John Groth. 59 pages. A fine copy in cloth and boards in a nearly fine dust jacket.

Seller Inventory # 14814

Bibliographic Details

• Title: THE LAST RUNNING. A Story. Drawings by John Groth
• Publisher: Lyons & Burford(1990), New York
• Publication Date: 1990
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 155821061X
• ISBN 13: 9781558210615
• Binding: hardcover
• Illustrator: John Groth
• Edition: First edition.
• Dust Jacket Condition: dj

About this title

Synopsis

Starlight, an old Comanche, comes from Oklahoma to Texas with eight braves, demanding the largest buffalo in Tom Bird's herd, and telling stories about the past

Reviews

Two old-timers lock horns in this lean, affecting short story set in 1923 and permeated with nostalgia for the Old West. One is gruff, tobacco-chewing Tom Bird, a Texas rancher; the other a sullen Comanche ex-war-chief named Starlight. Years earlier, they squared off in near-fatal combat. Now, Starlight and his party of eight Comanche men, on a stopover from Oklahoma, demand that Bird donate his largest bull, Shakespeare, for sacrifice. The almost ritualistic slaying is a botched, bloody mess. What is unspoken between the two protagonists--mutual respect, a nascent fraternal bond--is at least as important as what is made explicit. Graves ( From a Limestone Ledge ) has written a suggestive parable that looks back to a time when the prairies were not lacerated by wire fences. Groth's wiry, kinetic line drawings underscore the clash between two cultures, two destinies.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.