Flying U Ranch

Flying U #4

by B.M. Bower, Charles M. Russell (Illustrator), D. C. Hutchison (Illustrator)

Life at the Flying U Ranch in the Bear Paw country of Montana was pleasant—until thousands of sheep invaded the coulee. B. M. Bower casts the ancient enmity between cattlemen and sheepmen in her own robust and slyly humorous style. Flying U Ranch brings back the Happy Family of cowboys introduced in Chip of the Flying U . Bertha Muzzy Bower, a Montanan herself, understood the joshing, boasting, and thoroughly decent young hands who worked at the Flying U—Andy, Pink, Slim, Big Medicine, Happy Jack, and the other members of the Happy Family. Here they must confront defiant sheepherders just when Chip and the Old Man are in Chicago. Bower delights in showing how they deal with rage and frustration without resorting to violence. The witty and nervy Flying U bunch gets satisfaction from a difficult situation justly ended.

Genres: Westerns, Historical Fiction, Fiction

253 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1914

About the author

Bertha Muzzy Sinclair or Sinclair-Cowan, née Muzzy, best known by her pseudonym B. M. Bower, was an American author who wrote novels, fictional short stories, and screenplays about the American Old West. Her works, featuring cowboys and cows of the Flying R Ranch in Montana, reflected "an interest in ranch life, the use of working cowboys as main characters (even in romantic plots), the occasional appearance of eastern types for the sake of contrast, a sense of western geography as simultaneously harsh and grand, and a good deal of factual attention to such matters as cattle branding and bronc busting.

Born Bertha Muzzy in Otter Tail County, MN and living her early years in Big Sandy, Montana, she was married three times: to Clayton Bower, in 1890; to Bertrand William Sinclair,(also a Western author) in 1912; and to Robert Elsworth Cowan, in 1921. Bower's 1912 novel Lonesome Land was praised in The Bookman magazine for its characterization. She wrote 57 Western novels, several of which were turned into films.

Reviews

[Debbie Zapata · Rating 3 out of 5]

This month's B. M. Bower title takes us back to the Montana home of the Happy Family, that crew of cowboys we met in a few earlier books that also took place at the Flying U ranch.

It was great to ride along with Andy, Weary, Happy Jack, Big Medicine, and the rest of the gang again. Oh, I shouldn't forget to mention my favorite range rider, Pink. Here is a thumbnail sketch of an unforgettable character. He is about to go toe to toe with a (gasp) sheepherder:

"Pink was not tall, and he was slight and boyish of build; also, his cherubic face, topped by tawny curls and lighted by eyes as deeply blue and as innocent as a baby's, probably deceived that herder, just as they had deceived many another. For Pink was a good deal like a stick of dynamite wrapped in white tissue paper and tied with blue ribbon; and Weary was not at all uneasy over the outcome, . . .
Pink did not waste any time or words on the preliminaries. With a delightful frankness of purpose he pulled off his coat and threw it on the ground, as he came up, sent his hat after it, and arrived fist first.
The herder had waited grinning, and he had shouted something to Weary about spanking the kid if Weary didn't make him behave. Speedily he became a very surprised herder, and a distressed one as well.

But Pink may have a little competition for my affections with the newest member of the crew, Miguel. He wears black batwing angora chaps with three white diamond shapes going down each leg, huge silver spurs, and has a killer smile. We meet Miguel in the first two chapters and at first it didn't seem like the Happy Family was too thrilled with the man. But they changed their minds soon enough, and I was glad to see him become a part of the team. I wonder what role he will have in the next Happy Family story, called The Flying U's Last Stand. I have another one to read before I get there, but I don't like the sound of that title!

Anyway, back to this book. The family living on the ranch next to the Flying U have sold out to a man who plans to raise sheep! At the time of our story, this was still a matter of near warfare for cattlemen, and the Happy Family deals with the situation as only they can.

Like all of Bower's tales, this one was a great mix of humor, authentic cowboy action, and enough drama to add a taste of spice. I gave it only three stars, though, because this story did not have the same depth as I have been seeing in her last few books. It felt more like a return to something comfortable. Still delightful, and I enjoyed the heck out of it, honest to grandma (as Big Medicine would say) but I was not left with that wow feeling that she had been creating. We'll see what happens Someday with the next title on her list, The Ranch At The Wolverine.

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have now read three books in the Flying U series. In addition to getting to better know ( and like) the various members of the Flying U Ranch family, what I like is that in each book Bower addresses an important issue of early 20th century Western ranching history. In The Flying U’s Last Stand, it was the misrepresentation of dry land farming by unscrupulous land promoters and the incursion of homesteads on range land. In this book it is the rivalry and tensions between the cattlemen and sheep men over grazing rights. Bower, who grew up in Big Sandy, Montana, shows her affection for this vanishing way of life with realistic characters and dialogue. A great series of Westerns.

[Kate Joekel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sheep are the enemy in this tale of the happy family. An old antagonist, Dunk makes an appearance as the sheep mean bound to destroy the Flying U

Range, but if you've read any other Flying U books, you know it is Andy and Weary Davidson, his cousin and look alike , Zurich, Pink, Patch, Chip, the Little doctor, the. Countless and of course, the Old Man and new-comer , Migual, who can preview are with the best of them, Andy who really make the story!

[Rol Forrester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

Lovely story of a cattle ranch way back in the day. The good guys come out on top after making a clever plan. Well written

[Cheryl]

Because Data Mutt's review, for something different.

[Garth Mailman · Rating 3 out of 5]

An excerpt from former volumes.

[Luke Keegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I though Flying U Ranch was a very interesting and engaging book. The only problem I had with this book is that it seemed like it rambled on and on. Otherwise I liked the entire book, it had an interesting and engaging plotline, with likeable, and unlikable characters.

[Danielle D · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is about a ranch called Flying U Ranch. Thousands of sheep invaded the coulee. The Ranch brings back a happy family of cowboys introduced in Chip of the Flying U.