Ogallala Trail
Series: The Trail, Book 5
Written and Narrated By: David R. Lewis
Length: 5 hrs and 49 mins
This series, these books, the gosh-danged stories? They just keep getting better ‘n better!
The thing about audiobooks? Sometimes ya just don’t know how to spell stuff; important stuff. Like names of characters introduced and that one comes to much-love. Cuz, you see, what has me going is Ogallala Trail by master storyteller David R. Lewis (RIP!). And THAT man? Well, I gotta tell ya, ‘tain’t no s’prise that HE’D be crafting characters who live and breathe, who crack jokes, who do stuff that make the Listener crack up, stand up and cheer. Who, generally, also wind up bringin’ a tear to the eye.
This has me TOTALLY hitting Amazon for the dratted Publisher’s Summaries (After the Listen, unless I goof big-time and take a gander at ‘em before I hit the story), and I look for the reviews to also spell names and places as the writers flesh out their reviews.
And so? I’m now able to tell ya that characters in THIS, Book 5, of “The Trail” series are to die for, -AND- I can give them their proper due by spelling things out for m’self.
Here in Ogallala Trail, US Marshal Marion Daniels is on the move again, and he’s come to seek Ruben Beeler’s assistance. A good friend of his, Cecil Man-Bear, has been grievously wounded (Had his legs very much crippled) by a half-breed who also raped, tortured, and gutted his wife, and who kidnapped his stepdaughter. Marion and Cecil go waaaay back, and Marion is keen to get the sumbitch who did such things to his buddy, and of COURSE Rube is up for hittin’ the Trail yet again. THIS time, he’s leaving Miss Harmony with Li’l Bill who’s now somewhat mobile. Now, while Rube ADORES his family, he’s gotta go on this expedition. ‘Tain’t about wanderlust this time; this is about getting a young girl back and seeing that justice is done.
The Trail takes the duo to Cecil Man-Bear’s abode, and there the pair meet Owney Furnish (Seeee?! Spelling is MUCH appreciated!), another of Man-Bear’s good friends, and he’ll be joining up and serving as Scout. Also? As the now trio hit the Trail, it turns out that Harmony was worried enough about this particular expedition to write Homer Poteet posthaste, and THAT good man tails, and trails, the group to join in on this incredibly dangerous mission.
Cuz the man they’re hunting? His name is Otaktay which means “Kills-Many” in English. This is a name which is horrifically apropos. Further, he’s got a band of cut-throat renegades grouped with him.
This book in the series might be a tad more violent, somewhat more graphic than the others. But what’s really interesting is how Ruben finds a darkness in his own soul as he continually runs up against scenes of violence, horror, and much bloodshed that the renegade band and Kills-Many leave behind. Kills-Many leaves many a “message” and “warning” for our band of Marshals and Owney, and they’re pretty gruesome, enough to make Ruben damned near faint, enough to make him kinda sorta dissociate, leaving him with the remnants of what he himself is capable of.
Still and all, it ain’t all violence, as Lewis is/was incapable of doing anything but penning wonderful tales of men on the Trail, complete with jawing around campfires, navigating nature (P’raps even, say, desperately trying to survive a cyclone), and epitomizing the truest and purest of friendships. When Rube loses himself completely, there’s always a good friend, a father-figure perhaps, to talk him into a better place, or to give him the kick in the rear end that is necessary to get a flicker of light glowing in the house again, bringing him back to himself.
Now, previous reviews have had me waxing poetic about David R. Lewis being The ONLY Person who could possibly do justice to his work. Have you not read any of those reviews? If not, here goes: He never narrates, and even calling it a performance wouldn’t do justice to the ease and the drama and emotion that he manages with each book in this drop dead wonderful series. And make no mistake: Ogallala Trail is highly emotionally evocative as Rube comes to terms with what-all horrors he’s seen, and with what-all violence he’s capable of. He’s been able to kill in the past; it’s definitely been necessary. But here? He has to do quite some premeditation; and here? He’s seen horrors, and he’s plenty angry. Lewis takes us through Rube’s dissociation, and then he brings assistance from good friends that get Rube back to feeling human again. Just a newly complex human. Bravo, Mr. Lewis!
And now a final thought. Generally, I end each “Trail” review commenting on how soon I’m DYING to get to the next book. Here? I gotta tell ya, I’m NOT itching and twitchy for the next. Because, you see… whilst I was on Amazon? I looked up the entire series and discovered: There are NINE books but only EIGHT available as audiobook. It looks like the exTRAOrdinarily wonderful David R. Lewis may’ve been too sick to record the ninth book.
Oh noooooo!!!! Dunno that I can stand the thought of there being no finale, just filled with anticipatory grief over on this end.
Oh, Mr. Lewis: You are sooo missed, and I thank you, with ALL my heart for such AWEsome stories. You brought joy and laughter, not to mention plenty o’ tears over here. And judging from those reviews?
Dude, I’m not the only person feeling that.
RIP, oh do Rest In Peace!!!
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