Down the Long Hills

by Louis L'Amour

Western Fiction

Genres: Westerns, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Adventure, Action, Survival, Audiobook

150 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1968

About the author

Louis Dearborn L'Amour was an American novelist and short story writer. His books consisted primarily of Western novels, though he called his work "frontier stories". His most widely known Western fiction works include Last of the Breed, Hondo, Shalako, and the Sackett series. L'Amour also wrote historical fiction (The Walking Drum), science fiction (The Haunted Mesa), non-fiction (Frontier), and poetry and short-story collections. Many of his stories were made into films. His books remain popular and most have gone through multiple printings. At the time of his death, almost all of his 105 existing works (89 novels, 14 short-story collections, and two full-length works of nonfiction) were still in print, and he was "one of the world's most popular writers".

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Until now, Hardy Collins had lived in a state of apprehension, fearing the dangers of the trail less than he feared his inability to cope with them. But now, suddenly, he found himself confident. They had been on the trail for several days, and they had survived . . ." -- page 46, start of chapter 5

Author L'Amour breaks with the usual laconic archetype that populates many of his stories - the 30-ish, gunslinging, 'cow-punching' man who rides the plains and prairies of the old west - and shifts to a somewhat different type of protagonist in the adventure / suspense tale Down the Long Hills. Hardy Collins is just seven years old, riding as a passenger on a wagon train at the Colorado / Wyoming border circa the gold rush of 1848-49. By a stroke of blind luck Hardy and another, younger child are the only survivors of a deadly Comanche raid on said convoy. Mounting the trusty stallion known as 'Big Red,' the children flee into the hills in an attempt to reach their intended destination of Fort Bridger. Fortunately, the mature Hardy possesses a cool demeanor, and also was well-taught by his widowed father in some simple ways of surviving on the frontier . . . which will come in handy, as the children are soon pursued by a proud Cheyenne warrior and two sinister would-be rustlers, with both parties intent on stealing stallion 'Big Red' for themselves. This was a relatively simple and straightforward story, stripped down to the essential elements, but told nearly to perfection.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I think of myself in the oral tradition--as a troubadour, a village tale-teller, the man in the shadows of a campfire. That's the way I'd like to be remembered--as a storyteller. A good storyteller." Louis L'Amour

Louis L'Amour may never have won a Pulitzer but he was a great storyteller. It is easy to imagine sitting around a campfire and listening to one of his stories. There was a time when I would read his novels back to back to back. I still enjoy returning to his books on occasion.

Hardy Collins, seven years old, was on a wagon train headed west to Fort Bridger, Wyoming where he was to supposed to meet his father when his horse wandered off in the night. In the predawn he left the wagon train to retrieve his horse ... because he was responsible for his horse. He was followed by three year old Betty Sue Powell. Betty Sue followed Hardy everywhere. When they found Big Red and returned to camp everyone was dead. Massacred by Indian's in a raid.

With only a horse, a knife, and the lessons learned from his father it is up to Hardy to keep them alive and get them to Fort Bridger. He will need all of the skills he learned from his father and then some. There are Indian's, outlaws, wolves, and an ornery grizzly bear. He must find water, forage for food, and build shelters to protect them from the harsh weather. Their survival will depend on his ability to go beyond what his father taught him.

A seven year old and a three year old alone in the wilderness without food or water surviving? Unbelievable. But such is the skill of the author that it becomes believable. I am old enough to remember when Westerns were a popular genre. Now you don't see them too much. It is a shame. I will definitely be looking forward to reading another Louis L'Amour story in the not too distant future.

[Hana · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the quiet pre-dawn hours a young boy camped with a wagon train in Laramie Mountains of Wyoming wakes suddenly to realize that his horse has pulled up its stake and disappeared. Seven year old Hardy Collins follows--and so does the daughter of the wagonmaster, three year old Betty Sue. They find Big Red at dawn grazing a patch of grass and head back towards the wagon train only to find that disaster has struck. An Indian raid has left every man, woman and child dead and most of the provisions taken or burned.

The boy, the little girl and the big chestnut stallion have no choice but to head out into the wilderness. What follows is a thrilling tale of survival, courage and ingenuity, enlivened by Louis L'Amour's gift for description and knowledge of the wild. Between this and Hondo, I'm now a certified Louis L'Amour fan.

Content rating PG: Some violence, wilderness hardships.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable action-adventure tale set in the Old West. After the wagon train massacre, only Hardy (age 7) and Betty Sue (age 3) were left, along with Hardy's horse, Red. Trying to get to his father at Fort Bridger, Hardy must use all of the wilderness survival lessons his father taught him to get there alive. The children face many dangers, from both animals and people. In the meantime, Hardy's father hears of the massacre and rounds up a search party to find him. But will he get to the children in time?

At first, the pace was a bit slow. But once Hardy's father starts his search, the pace picks up and the book gets better. It becomes a real page-turner, and I couldn't put it down. A pleasant surprise.

[GoldGato · Rating 3 out of 5]

Louis L’Amour never wasted time with his beginning book chapters. There is immediate action so that the reader has to catch their breath to follow along. It’s a nice way to keep us engaged so that we have an interest in the characters, especially if we can cheer for those characters. Here, the hero is a small boy, about seven years old. Young, yes, but full of pioneer wisdom and common sense. He will undertake a dangerous journey against warpath Indians and nefarious criminals.

Hardy Collins wakes up one morning to find his horse, Big Red, is no longer nearby. Hardy has been travelling with a wagon train under the protection of a couple and his father’s trusted employee. Hardy’s father has gone ahead and will meet them at a fort further west. The young boy, knowing he is responsible for his much-prized horse, walks away to find him, followed by an even younger little girl. Together they find Big Red but upon returning to the wagon train, Hardy discovers only burnt embers and death. He knows a party of Indians have killed everyone else but pretends the wagon train has left without them, so his little companion doesn’t discover the atrocity.

So, the little children turn west and start walking. Big Red is too big for them to mount, plus there is no saddle. Hardy protects his horse, and his horse protects him. As they move along, they are followed by an Indian who wants the horse as a trophy. If that isn’t bad enough, they also meet two men to whom they look for help only to find out they are hard-boiled criminals. And THEY want Big Red, too. Poor Hardy Collins has to outwit them all, using the traits his father taught him, such as disguising his tracks and hunting for food and safe sleeping spots. But winter is coming and now the elements will become another enemy. It’s bad, but Hardy’s father has learned about the wagon train disaster and heads back with trusted men to find his little son. But a new enemy arises when a pack of wolves decides the horse and the two children will make a tasty snack. Will Hardy Collins ever find peace again?

Written in 1968, this Western portrays another era. It’s really about the sacrifices made by the pioneers who headed into the Wild West and how they had to teach themselves about the environment and the world-at-large. Hardy may be just a tyke, but adversity almost from birth has meant he's learned how to track, hunt, forage, and outwit humans and beasts. This is what makes the book so believable. L’Amour writes with a fluidity that doesn’t provide much exposition because his characters are living the moment. I know I was hoping the little lad succeeded but when the cold weather started occurring, I slowed down my reading in case there was bad news ahead. Once again, a Louis L’Amour Western has involved me and made for great bedtime reading.

Book Season = Winter (snowflakes and wolves)

[Diane Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

First line: "When Hardy Collins woke up, Big Red was gone. Hardy had picketed the stallion himself, and with sudden guilt he remembered that in his hurry to return to the supper fire he had struck the picket-pin only a couple of sharp blows."

So begins this story of survival and adventure for a seven year old boy and a three year old girl set in Wyoming Territory, 1848.

I'm not sure how well they would do in real life but it made for a very good page turner. I couldn't put it down! Wolves, bears, Indians, bad guys and foul weather, not to mention hunger and being lost. If that sounds like a lot to throw at these two kiddos, it was, but it works. Recommend to anyone looking for a survival story in the wild west. Plus there is a sweet stallion!

[Jeff Dickison · Rating 3 out of 5]

A seven year old boy and a 3 year old girl survive a wagon train massacre and then must survive the wilderness. A good, but not believable story, as anyone who has ever worked with a seven year old could tell you. I don't think a seven year old would be able to read tracks well and he would not be able to make a bow capable of shooting a bear. L'Amour should have made him 11 or 12 years old. Only for L'Amour fans.

[Benjamin Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This turned out to be one my favorite Louis L'Amour westerns. I've read quite a few of his books and I would rank this one easily within the top 10, perhaps even the top 5. It's a story of survival, a 7 year old boy forced to take care of a 3 year old girl for several rough days during a westward wagon trail trek after the rest of the crew was slaughtered and while his father searches and tracks him. It's quite an ordeal as you would expect but the lad was raised to be resourceful and he combines his basic skills with much luck.

This one won a Spur award and was turned into a movie in the 1980's starring Bruce Boxleitner. A nice quick read.

[Eva-Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Louis L'Amour continues to amaze and delight me.

I did think the kids (especially Hardy) acted too old for their age, but overall...an amazing story.

[Zachary Naylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

This isn't that bad--really!--but it has a few problems.

This is a decent choice for a younger reader. The story is set in the 1848 wagon train-laden period made so familiar by "Oregon Trail". The premise is great: two kids unwittingly survive an ambush retrieving their wandering horse, forcing them to travel west to meet their father. Winter is coming, they're young, and the deck is badly stacked against them. Seriously, I only gave this two stars but the concept is gold.
This book is rather short, and this brevity is both a huge help and a huge downside:

On the good side, the book's vistas and love of nature are on full display. For a kid going camping or something this would be a great way to inspire the imagination. Additionally, there's a fair bit of tension, as the kids deal with an increasing amount of threats (which begin overlapping in unpleasant ways), and the short length helps prevent it from getting too stale.

Sadly, this also works against it. Many excellent ideas (Hardy fearing whether hiding the truth of Betty-Sue's parents from her is wise, Ashawakie's burgeoning respect for the "young warrior", a villain who ends up being an old enemy of Hardy's father, Hardy's derringer) go entirely unexplored. The story actually drags a fair bit, being rather cyclical and--as expected, given the characters' age--low on meaningful action. Though there are some good thrills, they're low in number. It delivers on atmosphere, but lacks payoff.

The characters themselves also suffer from the short length. The shifts in POV come at awful times, robbing the story of meaningful character dissection (and lend it a tell > show vibe). This book would have been much better without the three trackers' subplot, and more focus on the children and Ashawakie's personalities. Ashawakie in particular is a huge letdown, because this book has such an abrupt ending that I thought my copy was missing pages! He just vanishes without any fanfare.

This story would have been stronger with a more focused POV, an earlier introduction of the villains, and more closure of its various plot threads. All the same, this a quick and harmless read, with some enticing scenes of survival and the occasional spurt of action. A quick diversion from common southwest gunslinger stories, and a possible gateway for kids.

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young boy is coming west with a wagon train to meet his pa at Ft. Bridger. A Cheyenne raid leaves the young boy with a three-year old girl, no supplies, and winter setting in. All he has is a big red horse and the wilderness knowledge he learned from his pa. A perilous journey begins...

Down the Long Hills is not a typical western frontier story because the main character isn't even in double digits yet. It's Survivor- western frontier style. Hardy Collins steals the listener's heart as this sober young guy tenderly looks after a girl who just lost her folks even while fearful with the knowledge that they are all alone in the middle of no where and in the middle of rough country with dangers on all sides. He's scared to death, but just keeps on plugging along. Beyond his efforts to keep them alive, they are being trailed by more than one person after Big Red the magnificent stallion that belongs to Hardy's pa, Scott Collins.

The narration is split between Hardy and Scott as son journeys to find his pa and pa leaves out from Ft. Bridger to find his son hoping he survived the raid on the wagon train and can hold out until Scott gets there with his mountain men buddies.

Now, did I have several moments when I kept thinking Hardy was older because of how he thought about things and the canny way he went about keeping himself and Betty Sue alive? Yes, its highly improbable. But, I didn't care. I swallowed the story whole and loved what I was getting.

The setting is Wyoming in the late 1840's just before gold was discovered in California and the frontier began much further east. I love how this author can paint in a historical setting and yarn about the times like he was there.

The narrator, Michael Crouch, is already a favorite. He did great for Hardy's young voice and even Betty Sue's. He has a way of getting a reader to settle in and lose themselves in his storytelling.

All in all, this was a fabulous western adventure from a favorite author and narrator. I can highly recommend it for those who want an exciting western adventure that isn't your typical shoot 'em up.

My thanks to Penguin Random House Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Brian Fagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

My sister-in-law has been keeping me pretty well stocked with L'Amours. Down the Long Hills was written in 1975 and concerns Hardy, a seven year-old boy left with Sue, his three year-old friend, alone on the high plains after an Indian attack wipes out the party he was traveling with. Hardy's pa Scott Collins had been out near Fort Bridger (modern day southwestern Wyoming) scouting for land to start a ranch. Collins gets word of the massacre and takes two friends to go looking for his son and neighbor's daughter, since there were no children found among the bodies.

All of his young life, it seems, had been preparing Hardy for this day. His father had carefully taught him how people survive in the woods by themselves, and Hardy was a serious boy who had liked nothing better than those long weeks learning to make for oneself. After the attack, Hardy and Sue were left with Big Red, his prize stallion, a knife and several day's food. Late fall was coming on fast in the high country, nights were cold, and they had no warm clothing.

Hardy and Sue continue west toward Fort Bridger on the Overland Trail, wondering how long it will be before his pa realizes something has happened. L'Amour has set up the story with these basics, and we are given a glimpse of several threats that are out there in the wilderness that could finish off Hardy and Sue before they reach his pa or he reaches them: cold, grizzly bears, a band of outlaws who are after Big Red, and Indians with the same idea.

If you've read L'Amour, you'll remember that he likes to pepper his westerns with truisms about survival, society, man's nature and the stoic loner mentality. Down the Long Hills is no exception:

"If you gave an Indian or mountain man a knife he'd make out anywhere, no matter what."

An Indian won't ride in the rain unless there's a darn good reason to do it.

"You could not war against the wilderness; to live in it one must become a part of it ..."

"... a body never knew how strong he could be until somebody expected it of him."

"... the way to succeed in life was just to keep trying ... and to keep faith."

"... the best laws are those you make for yourself to follow ..."

"...there's no telling where you'll hear the thing that ... may save your life."

That last one had me remembering one of my favorite lines from Sergio Leone's Man With No Name film trilogy, specifically, A Fistful of Dollars: "A man's life in these parts often depends on a mere scrap of information."

There is something humorous to me about L'Amour's heroes' tracking skills, in the details they glean from the tracks of people, horses and animals. One of these days I'm expecting them to tell us what color eyes the pursued have !

I rank Down the Long Hills among my favorite L'Amour novels.

[John Reis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Autumn 1848. Wyoming. Hardy Collins notices that his horse, Big Red, a magnificent stallion, has runoff in the middle of the night. He goes after it. He is seven years old. Betty Sue Powell follows him out of camp; she is three. There is a raid on the camp, and all the adults are massacred.

Hardy slips into the camp and grabs a knife and some canned goods. He and Betty Sue begin to walk away in the direction that the wagon train had been traveling. Hardy’s goal is to reach Ft. Bridger and his father. Once the canned goods are gone, Hardy tries to trap small game, like his father has taught him, but with no luck. Ashawakie, a Cheyenne, has run across their trail and recognizes the horse trail as one made by a stallion. He wants that horse.

They find nuts and berries. Hardy makes camp in very hidden areas and when he lights a fire keeps it small. They run into a grizzly, injured in a previous encounter with Ashawakie. Big Red kicks at him viciously and connects several times. Ashawakie comes upon the attack and shoots the bear several times. The kids get away without Big Red. This happens about a third of the way into the story.

When Simon Collins hears of the attack on the wagon train, he sets out with two friends to find his son.

The children are also being trailed by two outlaws. The issue now is if they can stay alive long enough to be rescued.

Hardy’s internal dialogue seems too mature for a seven-year-old. But he is mostly remembering words spoken by his father. He is young, yet resourceful. He cares a great deal for Betty Sue, who suffers starvation and the cold mostly in silence. Yes, it is a little unbelievable, but in the end, it is a good, suspenseful story.

[Alyssa DeLeon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I worship the false idol that is Louis L’Amour. But, as much as it pains me to say it, this book went a little further than far fetched for me. I know seven year old boys. I am significantly older than some of my brothers and I remember them being seven. I know three year old girls. Ain’t no way a seven-year-old boy and a three-year-old girl outwit: an Indian raid party, an Indian tracker, three grown men including the man that taught the boy everything he knows, two outlaws, and a FULL BLOWN HUNGRY ANGRY GRIZZLY BEAR.

But the story was awesome and enjoyable and fun and I liked every second of it. Another L’Amour win.

[Ameliedanjou · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite Louis L'Amour books, probably because of the kids. I read it to my oldest when he and his younger brother were about the ages of the children in the story. The main protagonist, the boy, probably seems unnaturally precocious to most current readers, but I think if you put him in his time period and situation, it is possible.
Lots of tense moments, love the smart thinking on the 7yr old's part (I remember being a smart 7-8 yr old), and a satisfying ending.
I don't often reread books; this is one.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Authentic. Raw. Completely naked of frivolities and extras. Just solid, rich, pulsing story. The characters are believable and are described almost solely through their actions and the choices they make to survive. And yet I can picture them so much more clearly than many characters written today with pages of description. Gripping plot and not a single extra word in the pages.

Clearly, Louis L'Amour was a fascinating writer and person who lived life to its absolute fullest. I would have liked to have met him.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was not particularly interested in this book for many reasons. One reason is that it swore another reason I did not like it was because it had a slow moving plot and it had very little action I honestly do not read these kind of books but it was required for school. I thought that it was easy to predict and I would recommend this book to any one who likes western books. I also think that it was a little bit to weird because it had almost no ending it just dragged on.

[Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad read in a "Littlest Hobo" sense but too many non-sequiturs to suit my picky mind. Might have been more believable if the boy had been 11 and the girl 6 instead of 8 and 3. Too often he helped the girl onto or down from the saddle of a bareback horse. The boy had no problems getting a fire going when he needed one but nowhere did it say he carried matches. And why would an 8 year old be carrying matches early in the morning looking for a lost horse?

[CindySR · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick satisfying read, LL'A always is. Except this time there were two small flaws. The story is about two children, ages 7 and 3, who return to their wagon train to find everyone slaughtered. They set off with a stallion and head west to find the boy's father who had already made the journey. I think the ages of the kids should have been a little older, like 10 and 6.

[Bambi Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars on this read-aloud. This was my first western!

Hardy Collins is 7 years old, going to meet his father at Ft Bridger, and traveling with a wagon train on the Wyoming/Colorado border during the time of the gold rush. Along the way the party is massacred by a Cheyenne raid. Hardy and a 3 year old girl escape only to be left alone to face the wilderness, horse thieves, a grizzly bear, wolves, and a lone but relentless Indian who is after the kids’ good horse. Hardy is not your average seven year old and he has a mind full of survivalist knowledge he’s learned from his widowed father, who unbeknownst to Hardy, learned of the Indian massacre and is searching for him. This is a survivalist story, western frontier style. It is more than a might unbelievable but in Louis L’Amour style it’s told in a believable way, and what kids don’t love a story like this where the kid is self sufficient, tough and outsmarts the bad guys? Hardy remains protective and sacrificial to the little girl with him, and there’s an overarching theme of respect and trust in his dad who has taught him well. The ending is a nail biter. We’ll probably read more L’Amour after this.

Some younger listeners might be disturbed at the opening scene of the Indian massacre. It’s a bit gruesome as is the ending. Also, there’s a bit of language in L’Amoures books (similar to the Little Britches series in frequency and type.)

[Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Westerns are all about guns, horses, good guys, bad guys and kids. Kids? Yes, kids.

I had only read this once before. I was surprised when I was going through my L'Amour library, so I grabbed it. Won L'Amour the Golden Spur award for the Best Novel in the 1968. It starts out with a wagon train massacre by Indians. Only two children survive--they were out chasing a stallion who had wandered off. The boy is seven and the girl is three. All they have is the horse and a knife.

These are western kids, though. The boy had been following his dad out in the fields and woods since he could barely walk. Hardy realizes they are in a pickle. He sets out with Betty Sue to get to Ft. Bridger. Along the way they will encounter wolves, Indians and outlaws.

Meanwhile at Ft. Bridger, word reaches Hardy's dad about the massacre but also that no children's bodies had been found. He wastes no time in going out to rescue his son, sure he survived.

Here, L'Amour uses all the familiar tropes of the western genre, but turns them on their collective heads. Hardy, while smart, doesn't do super-human things, and he makes mistakes as well. L'Amour brings all the elements together in a rousing climax that avoids becoming a deus ex machina finish. It certainly deserved the Golden Spur.

[DelightfullyDiehard · Rating 4 out of 5]

First real western book I've ever read and not gonna lie, a pretty good introduction. A short, simple read but enjoyable. All about a boy beating the odds and the desperation and dedication of a father. It was written in 1968 however, and as a byproduct, carries some very outdated themes about both women (though hardly mentioned and not focused on) and indigenous people. Looking past those outdated aspects, however, I can see why L'Amour was a popular author.

[Kristine Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first read by Louis L’Amour and I found it very intriguing. The story is very compelling about a young boy and girl having to survive on the plains alone.

It’s amazing to me the detail in this short book and also the heart of the two main characters, especially Hardy.

The tension ratchets up even more at the end of the book and I was very delighted with the ending.

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found myself rooting for Hardy just like I rooted for Kevin in Home Alone. What a resourceful boy and so clever. I wonder if 7 year olds would or could behave like Hardy. It seemed semi-realistic because of his background and with how much time he spent with his father learning but then it was like, holy moly, no way. Most adults wouldn't use their heads like Hardy used his.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent story from L'Amour, maybe one of his best.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first Western book, and it was wrought with suspense with multiple antagonistic situations. You found yourself proud of, and rooting for, Hardy throughout his peril.

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first Louis L’Amour book and I really enjoyed it. I was hooked from the beginning. All I’ve got to say is that seven year old boy did way better than this grown woman ever could have.

[Bob Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked the book a little guy has to try and find his father after the wagon train has been destroyed by a Indian raid and he must fend for himself while he travels on his adventure.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 👍🏻
Such a great story about adventure of an extraordinary little boy and girl. I strongly recommend it for little kiddos to read and realize what they're capable of.

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

My dad was an avid reader and I liked to pick up whatever he was reading and read it myself so he took care to chose books that weren’t too adult for his little daughter. Louis L’Amour was a staple and Down the Long Hills is one of my favorites. I’ll bet I’ve read it at least two dozen times and it never gets old. L’Amour’s books are just great tales, this one about a plucky seven year old and his determined father. It’s not incredibly realistic, but it is a good story. I’m sure I’ll reread it again soon.