The Day the Cowboys Quit

A different kind of range war erupts between cowboys and ranchers in The Day the Cowboys Quit from seven-time Spur Award–winning author Elmer Kelton.

The time is 1883, the place is the Texas Panhandle. Cowboys refuse to be stigmatized as drinkers and exploited by the wealthy cattle owners who don't pay liveable wages. Those very same ranchers want to take away the cowboys' right to own cattle because this ownership, the ranchers believe, would lead to thieving.

So the dictum is set: If you're a cowboy, you can't own a cow. When rumors of such legislation travel from wagon to wagon, the cowboys decided to rally and fight for their rights—they gather together and strike.