The Hanging Tree

Plot

"Short stories worthy of the most discerning of readers."-Chicago Sunday Tribune. "Johnson writes with a clearwater style and has the gift for showing that even the most questionable characters are worthy of love."-Christian Science Monitor. "Storyteller Johnson's memories are authentic; she grew up in Whitefish, Montana, with wide ears for tall tales. . . . And she has a surprising quality of humor."-Time. "Stories free from the patterns and stereotypes of western horse opera, with real men and women reacting credibly to the dangers and hardships of pioneer life."-Horn Book. The title story, The Hanging Tree, is based on a true episode in Montana's gold-mining past. Three amazing characters meet: the cynical Doc Frail; the boy robber named Rune, whom Doc saves and enslaves; and Elizabeth, the young easterner who survives an Indian assault and comes under the care of Doc and Rune. In the gold-mining camp of Skull Creek Elizabeth becomes the mysterious Lucky Lady. A vigorous, psychological western, The Hanging Tree was made into a movie starring Gary Cooper. The stories in this book consolidate Dorothy M. Johnson's reputation for authenticity and artistic integrity. "Lost Sister" is based on the recapture of Cynthia Ann Parker, a white woman abducted by the Comanche Indians. "The Man Who Knew the Buckskin Kid" tells of two married people and an outlaw who share a secret. Fully as arresting are "The Last Boast, " "Journal of Adventure, " "I Woke Up Wicked, " "The Gift by the Wagon, " "A Time for Greatness, "The Story of Charley, " and "Blanket Squaw."