Bareback! One Man's Journey Along the Pony Express Trail

One of the most thrilling Times in American History was the Pony Express Trail stretching almost 2,000 miles from Missouri to California, where pony riders--orphans and teens were preferred for this demanding deadly job--carried mail on horseback and leaped from one animal to the next every 10-15 miles to cover 75-100 miles daily. The Pony Express, however, lasted less than two years, replaced by the trans-continental telegraph. Ellis, an adventurer since his own youth when he ran away from home thumbing from Alabama to New York, retraced the Pony Express Trail by foot, horse, covered wagon, and canoe, to see if that Old West daring and determined spirit was still alive in America today. He did, indeed, find that it was alive and well and itching for the next horizon. From branding cattle to climbing down into the home-hole of Rabbit Man to being made a Brother to the Serpent, Ellis' trek overflowed with bigger than life characters and their stories. Among those were a Wyoming mother and daughter who were national bronc-riding champions. Highly recommended for anyone fascinated by the Old West, adventure, camping, and living free. Book contains numerous historic photographs.Read more