Mountain Medicine by A.B. Guthrie, Jr.

This Cardinal Edition collects fifteen Western stories by A. B. Guthrie, Jr., originally published in magazines and anthologies between 1946 and 1959, with several appearing here for the first time. The stories draw on frontier history, personal reminiscence, and tall-tale traditions. "Mountain Medicine" fictionalizes John Colter's Lewis and Clark expedition adventure as recorded by John Bradbury and Washington Irving. "The Therefore Hog" recounts a 1881 Nebraska episode where a ranch hand pranks a cantankerous cook with a frosted revolver. "The Big It," set in 1870s Fort Benton, Montana Territory, involves an Indian chief named Two Plumes and visiting fur company officials. Other stories include "Independence Day," "The Wreck," "Old Mother Hubbard," "Ebbie," "Bargain," "First Principal," "Last Snake," "The Moon Dance Skunk," "The Keeper of the Key," and "The Fourth at Getup." Guthrie emphasizes authenticity and historical grounding throughout the collection.