Customer Reviews

The Wolf and the Buffalo

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Lose yourself and confront the problems of the early Texas frontier in Kelton's most thoughtful novel. Gideon, a former slave, flees the post-Civil-War south and finds himself in the Cavalry at the West Texas outpost of Fort Concho where he faces himself, white prejudice, and the fierce Comanche.
Many blacks served as enlisted cavalrymen on frontier posts in Texas. Because of the African American dark skin and hairtype, the Comanches gave them the name "Buffalo Soldiers." The name was a term of respect and awe, for the Comanche revered the buffalo and depended on it for survival.
Though highly entertaining adventure, "Wolf" retains historical and geographical accuracy, and Kelton attains a sensitive characterization that makes the story both touching and satisfying.

Required reading in a college history class in 1992, I remember it and keep a copy to this day. Outstanding story of Gideon and his plight. No less than 5 stars. An absolute must read.

Luther Butler THE WOLF AND THE BUFFALO BY ELMER KELTON Elmer Kelton skillfully takes the rugged geography of West Texas, accounts of the Texas Comanche wars, mixes in the Buffalo soldiers with their hair the Indians thought looked like the curly buffalo, and adds white officers, Comanches, buffalo hunters, and makes an epic struggle of two cultures that will be enjoyed by many generations of readers. And to add spice to the story, he stirs in the women of San Angelo, Texas who washes not only clothes but who provide sexual relief for the men who chase dusty savages into a world unknown to them. The story centers around two strong characters. The Buffalo is Private Gideon Ledbetter, a recently released Louisiana slave who is now a member of the Tenth U.S. Calvary stationed at Fort Concho, Texas. Hated by most of the white settlers, Ledbetter has two jobs. When he is not chasing Comanches, he spends his time building adobe buildings and shoveling horse manure at the fort, but. he prefers to be on patrol trying to make the savage Comanches go to a reservation in Oklahoma Territory. He goes out with Lieutenant Hollander under Black Sergeant Nettles. Ledbetter grows stronger in his position until he eventually takes over Nettles job. The wolf is Gray Horse, a young Comanche warrior who tries to keep the invading settlers after the Civil War from killing his people's source of food, the buffalo. In constant visions, the wolf and the raven seek to lead the developing warrior to new buffalo herds. Symbolically, Gray Horse sees visions of a red buffalo calf. Unlike Ledbetter, Gray Horse declines in prestige until he is forced to make a suicidal attack before his people go into servitude on the Oklahoma reservation. Ledbetter almost loses his focus because of the beautiful mulatto, Hannah York, who gives a purpose for him to not only live, but to advance so he can earn enough money to marry and start a family. The old woman who controls the desirable young maiden saves her charge so she can sell sexual favors to the white officers. After the young soldier has enjoyed Hannah's body numerous times, he finds her with his commanding officer, Lieutenant Hollander. Hannah is forced to leave. Sergeant Nettles saves Ledbetter's career by talking sense to the betrayed young man who planned to marry his beloved. Hollander's subsequent marriage to a proper young lady and his attempt to repair the damaged relation with Ledbetter forms a hinge that much of the latter action pivots on. Gray Horse leads Ledbetter's unit on a wild chase into a land where there is no water. The chief thinks he has destroyed the enemy only to find the new enemy is invincible Even after the white government turns white hunters loose to slaughter the buffalo for their hides, does Gray Horse fail to acknowledge that the only hope for his people lies in going to Oklahoma Reservation where the Quakers will rule them. At Adobe Walls, the Comanche leader begins to glimpse the truth when a few buffalo hunters with their rifles that can kill at over a mile, turns back a gathering of the Indian nation. General Mackenzie's rout of Comanches at their winter quarters in Palo Duro Canyon makes Gray Horse realize the end is near. Gray Horse goes to the hated reservation a wounded and beaten warrior to shed his buffalo robes and become a cattle raiser. He realizes he must make one last try to find the red buffalo calf after he finds his wife with their son who is dying because of poor living conditions. Taking a band of warriors, he goes in search of the mystical calf. After he and his men brutally slaughter a group of buffalo killers, Gray Horse realizes his dreams of being free are over. After finding the red buffalo calf, the warriors kill it and eat it! To him, a way of life ends. Out numbered by the buffalo soldiers who come to punish the Comanche band for slaughtering the buffalo hunters, Gray Horse makes a suicidal attack on Sergeant Ledbetter's unit. Even though the Indian's arrow goes through Ledbetter's shoulder, he is able to fire the final shot that brings an end to his enemy. Like the end of a Greek epic, the defeated Indian is carried off on a symbolic shield to be given a hero's funeral. Ledbetter recovers from his wound so he can fight a new enemy, the Apaches. And I hope he eventually finds Hannah, nurses her back to health, and goes into retirement to live on a small farm and raise a family. END

This book ranks among my top five personal favorite novels of all time. Mr. Kelton weaves a tapestry of West Texas culture and history and storytelling that will envelop a reader. The story of two men, Gideon Ledbetter, a former slave who becomes a US Cavalry soldier (or Buffalo soldier, as they were historically known), and Gray Horse Running, an American Indian fighting for his way of life, is an absolute must-read. His description of weary solidiers travelling through the West Texas desert will have you reaching for a glass of water!! I first read this book as a college assignment and have happily recommended it to friends and family for years. I consider it to be Mr. Kelton's masterpiece, even better than "The Good Old Boys" or "The Time It Never Rained" which are also outstanding. Some smart person is going to make a great movie out of this book one day.

Outstanding book. Follows the history of the time closely and was hard to put down. Hated for it to end.

This was a good book. Enjoyable reading and does a great job of telling a story of the Old West from the perspective of peoples that have not told their side often. Elmer Kelton is one of my favorite authors and this one did not disappoint.

This novel was fictional, but historical in the telling of a story of three peoples, all of whom had a different perspective on life in America. Native Americans, African Americans and Whites all came from different cultures and thus had different perspectives. Cultural clashes of this magnitude often result in one culture lost while another gains. The life of the plains Indian sounds glorious, but they endured many hardships of their own long before Whites came to their land. African Americans found some status as soldiers, but not without consequences. Whites often came with ideals of their own, but in many ways so alien to the Native American, that the culture clash was inevitable. This was a well written book by Kelton. It is one I recommend to others for reading. Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down until I finished it.

A buffalo soldier fresh out of slavery tries to enslave the free Indians of West Texas. While you read this book try to find out why. It doesn't make sense, but it makes a good story. Try my novel by searching butler, luthe