Some notable sight was drawing the passengers, both men and women, to the window; and therefore I rose and crossed the car to see what it was. I saw near the track an enclosure, and round it some laughing men, and inside it some whirling dust, and amid the dust some horses, plunging, huddling, and dodging. They were cow ponies in a corral, and one of them would not be caught, no matter who threw the rope. We had plenty of time to watch this sport, for our train had stopped that the engine might take water at the tank before ...
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Some notable sight was drawing the passengers, both men and women, to the window; and therefore I rose and crossed the car to see what it was. I saw near the track an enclosure, and round it some laughing men, and inside it some whirling dust, and amid the dust some horses, plunging, huddling, and dodging. They were cow ponies in a corral, and one of them would not be caught, no matter who threw the rope. We had plenty of time to watch this sport, for our train had stopped that the engine might take water at the tank before it pulled us up beside the station platform of Medicine Bow. We were also six hours late, and starving for entertainment. The pony in the corral was wise, and rapid of limb. Have you seen a skilful boxer watch his antagonist with a quiet, incessant eye? Such an eye as this did the pony keep upon whatever man took the rope. The man might pretend to look at the weather, which was ne; or he might aect earnest conversation with a bystander: it was bootless. The pony saw through it. No feint hoodwinked him. This animal was thoroughly a man of the world. His undistracted eye stayed fixed upon the dissembling foe, and the gravity of his horse-expression made the matter one of high comedy. Then the rope would sail out at him, but he was already elsewhere; and if horses laugh, gayety must have abounded in that corral. Sometimes the pony took a turn alone; next he had slid in a ash among his brothers, and the whole of them like a school of playful sh whipped round the corral, kicking up the ne dust, and (I take it) roaring with laughter. Through the window-glass of our Pullman the thud of their mischievous hoofs reached us, and the strong, humorous curses of the cow-boys. Then for the first time I noticed a man who sat on the high gate of the corral, looking on. For he now climbed down with the undulations of a tiger, smooth and easy, as if his muscles owed beneath his skin. The others had all visibly whirled the rope, some of them even shoulder high. I did not see his arm lift or move. He appeared to hold the rope down low, by his leg. But like a sudden snake I saw the noose go out its length and fall true; and the thing was done. As the captured pony walked in with a sweet, church-door expression, our train moved slowly on to the station, and a passenger remarked, "That man knows his business." - Taken from "The Virginian" written by Owen Wister
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Add this copy of The Virginian to cart. $3.63, good condition, Sold by ZBK Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Woodland Park, NJ, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Independently published.
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Used book in good and clean conditions. Pages and cover are intact. Limited notes marks and highlighting may be present. May show signs of normal shelf wear and bends on edges. Item may be missing CDs or access codes. May include library marks. Fast Shipping.
Add this copy of The Virginian to cart. $4.87, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Ruby rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Independently published.
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Add this copy of The Virginian to cart. $7.33, fair condition, Sold by BookDrop rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Phoenix, AZ, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Independently published.
Add this copy of The Virginian to cart. $33.41, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hialeah, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Independently published.
Add this copy of The Virginian to cart. $64.39, new condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hialeah, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Independently published.
Written in 1902, The Virginian is considered to be the first cowboy novel and the basis of the genre of Western movies and TV shows that remain popular to this day. Author Owen Wister (1860-1938) was from Philadelphia but made several trips out to the West in the 1880s and 1890s; his visit to Wyoming was the inspiration for the novel entitled The Virginian (much of the story takes place in Medicine Bow, Wyoming). The story develops the themes of toughness and rugged individualism typically connected with the West. The story includes various elements one associates with Western novels: cowboys, horses, trains, ranches, cattle rustlers, sagebrush, cottonwood trees, wide-open spaces, romance, and a gun battle. I will admit I was hoping for a little more action as I would see with James Drury (the Virginian), Doug McClure (Trampas), and Lee J. Cobb (the Judge) in the TV show of the same name as the novel; on the other hand, if one reads this book as a person from the East and living in the United States in the opening years of the twentieth century one can see the literary and historical significance of this book. I also liked how the author attempted to reconcile the various regions (East, West, New England, and the South) with characters representing the various sections of the United States. While at times a little slow, I did like this book and I feel as if I have viewed a way of life and a philosophy that seems to be fading away with each passing year.
ris227
May 31, 2015
Virginian
Bought this Classic book as a gift. Pleased with entire transaction.
Katherine B
May 19, 2011
great book
This is one of the great books on the west. It was written while Wister was in Winthrop, WA.
