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Mountain Man
Good Read.
- GenresShort StoriesWesterns
First published November 15, 1934
About the author
Robert E. Howard
3,038 books2,689 followersRobert Ervin Howard was an American pulp writer of fantasy, horror, historical adventure, boxing, western, and detective fiction. Howard wrote "over three-hundred stories and seven-hundred poems of raw power and unbridled emotion" and is especially noted for his memorable depictions of "a sombre universe of swashbuckling adventure and darkling horror."
He is well known for having created—in the pages of the legendary Depression-era pulp magazine Weird Tales—the character Conan the Cimmerian, a.k.a. Conan the Barbarian, a literary icon whose pop-culture imprint can only be compared to such icons as Tarzan of the Apes, Count Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, and James Bond.
—Wikipedia
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
He is well known for having created—in the pages of the legendary Depression-era pulp magazine Weird Tales—the character Conan the Cimmerian, a.k.a. Conan the Barbarian, a literary icon whose pop-culture imprint can only be compared to such icons as Tarzan of the Apes, Count Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, and James Bond.
—Wikipedia
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 23, 2023
Entertaining listening 🎧
I listened to this as part of The Breckenridge Elkins Stories: Western Short Stories by Robert E. Howard. It is a classic western short story with a little romance, action, misdirection, and violence with great endings.
Robert E. Howard is one of my favorite authors. I started back in the 1960s reading Conan paper backs for like $0.10 each. I would highly recommend this author and his series. 2023
I listened to this as part of The Breckenridge Elkins Stories: Western Short Stories by Robert E. Howard. It is a classic western short story with a little romance, action, misdirection, and violence with great endings.
Robert E. Howard is one of my favorite authors. I started back in the 1960s reading Conan paper backs for like $0.10 each. I would highly recommend this author and his series. 2023
October 2, 2023
This is my first Howard and I've never been much into Conan the Barbarian, so I wasn't sure what to expect. What a delightful surprise! I found myself laughing heartily throughout this story. In the beginning I was like, this guy is an idiot, but what a fun story! It makes me think of the stories where the main character is an idiot but always seems to come out on top like The Pink Panther or Mr. Bean.
You have to give the main character a chance because there's a little buildup with him and where the plot is going but it gets there. So much happens to the poor man who only had to go to town to pick up a letter for his father. Truly a most enjoyable story.
You have to give the main character a chance because there's a little buildup with him and where the plot is going but it gets there. So much happens to the poor man who only had to go to town to pick up a letter for his father. Truly a most enjoyable story.
October 17, 2018
What! A humorous story from Robert E Howard. Yep, and a western to boot partner!
Audiobook
Short Story
Audiobook
Short Story
January 23, 2023
Humorous and short — a fun and funny plot. Narrators gets better as the story progresses . 😊👍🏼
June 28, 2024
One last Breckenridge Elkins western comedy adventure
January 9, 2012
A humorous short story by a great writer.
All Breckenridge Elkins had to do was ride his mule into Tomahawk and pick up a letter for his "Pap."
It turned out to be a lot of problem.
The first was when he decided to take a bath at the stream he came to. He hung his pistol belt on a limb over the stream and dived in. When he came up, a man was trying to club him in the head. the pistol he grabbed ran him off, but his clothes went with him.
There he was naked as a jaybird. How could he go into town like that? He needed clothes.
He came upon a city feller walking on the road wearing a fancied up coat and pants. he took them, except for the underwear, who wore such stuff, put the man on his mule and sent him on his way, telling him he'd swap his clothes for the mule when he got to town and could get proper duds.
Next he ran into a posse looking for him and ran, only surrendering his pistol when he saw the star on one man's shirt(just like his Pap had told him).
The next thing he knew he was putting on silk drawers and shoved into a ring. The town of Tomahawk had bet all their money with a neighboring town and sent for a fighter. The man he'd "borrowed" the clothes from.
Rules for a fight just confused Breckenridge and he went at it like a proper fighter should. Which caused a lot of yells, shooting.
All he wanted to do was get pap's letter and head home.
Then a third town bunch showed up with the real fighter in tow riding his mule. Dressed now though,
The three groups set to fighting amongst themselves and Breckenridge saw his chance, grabbing the fighter, swapping them silk drawers for the buckskins and reclaiming his mule.
Now for Pap's letter.
More problems. A gun battle was going on as a gang of outlaws was after the station master's gold shipment. Breckenridge had to take a hand again.
Such a lot of trouble for a letter. Next time Pap could get his own letter.
Loved this one.
All Breckenridge Elkins had to do was ride his mule into Tomahawk and pick up a letter for his "Pap."
It turned out to be a lot of problem.
The first was when he decided to take a bath at the stream he came to. He hung his pistol belt on a limb over the stream and dived in. When he came up, a man was trying to club him in the head. the pistol he grabbed ran him off, but his clothes went with him.
There he was naked as a jaybird. How could he go into town like that? He needed clothes.
He came upon a city feller walking on the road wearing a fancied up coat and pants. he took them, except for the underwear, who wore such stuff, put the man on his mule and sent him on his way, telling him he'd swap his clothes for the mule when he got to town and could get proper duds.
Next he ran into a posse looking for him and ran, only surrendering his pistol when he saw the star on one man's shirt(just like his Pap had told him).
The next thing he knew he was putting on silk drawers and shoved into a ring. The town of Tomahawk had bet all their money with a neighboring town and sent for a fighter. The man he'd "borrowed" the clothes from.
Rules for a fight just confused Breckenridge and he went at it like a proper fighter should. Which caused a lot of yells, shooting.
All he wanted to do was get pap's letter and head home.
Then a third town bunch showed up with the real fighter in tow riding his mule. Dressed now though,
The three groups set to fighting amongst themselves and Breckenridge saw his chance, grabbing the fighter, swapping them silk drawers for the buckskins and reclaiming his mule.
Now for Pap's letter.
More problems. A gun battle was going on as a gang of outlaws was after the station master's gold shipment. Breckenridge had to take a hand again.
Such a lot of trouble for a letter. Next time Pap could get his own letter.
Loved this one.
February 26, 2015
This is one of the best Robert E. Howard stories that I've read to date. It's the first in his western series starring Breckenridge Elkins.
Breckenridge has to leave his mountain homeland for town to fetch a letter for his pa. Sounds easy enough, but turns out to be anything but easy.
Mr Howard manages to pack a lot of action and events into such a short story without causing the reader any confusion. The comedy aspects to the tale are brilliant.
A fantastic little read.
Breckenridge has to leave his mountain homeland for town to fetch a letter for his pa. Sounds easy enough, but turns out to be anything but easy.
Mr Howard manages to pack a lot of action and events into such a short story without causing the reader any confusion. The comedy aspects to the tale are brilliant.
A fantastic little read.
March 18, 2023
Rootin' tootin' hoot. Breck is helpless out of his home zone. His phrasing is funny. Action rolls along. Gunpowder blows. Shots go wild. Fight goes foul. Author's suicide at 30 cost us decades of good reading.
January 3, 2021
I loved this one verry funny, just great.
June 25, 2022
I didn't finish reading it. My kindle froze and I had to restart it and register again and I lost the book and don't know how to get it back.
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February 22, 2011Good read. I downloaded from Smashwords.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews