In Dead Man’s Walk, Call and McRay join the Rangers where are quickly exposed to the perils of the wild west, such as narrowly escaping their first encounter with the formidable Comanche war chief Buffalo Hump. They then join a doomed and ill-prepared expedition led by ex-pirate and soldier of fortune Caleb Cobb to capture and annex Sante Fe, a part of New Mexico, for Texas.
Comanche Moon bridges the middle years of Cull and McRay between Dead Man’s Walk and Lonesome Dove. It chronicles their advancement in the ranks of the Ranger, the ongoing drama of their love life, their attempts to subdue the last Comanche war chiefs and to keep roving bands of bandits in check.
Gus and Call: on the trail again for the first time
These books, although not as epic as Lonesome Dove, are still a great read and showcase McMurtry’s knack of mixing humor and action in a dynamite mix of escapism and literature. I enjoyed following the evolution of these two lovable characters from clueless whippersnappers to legendary Texas Rangers. I was also thrilled to find younger versions of most of the main supporting cast we learned to love in Lonesome Dove, such as Newt Dobbs, Josh Deets, Jack Spoon, Pea Eye and Famous Shoes, the Kickapoo scout.
Watch as Gus falls deeply in love with the strong-willed Clara Forsythe and waits fruitlessly for years and years and years for her to marry him, all the wile drowning his sorrow in an endless series of whores and whisky bottles. Witness in wonder as Call’s emotional detachment drives to despair Maggie Tilton, a reluctant whore and mother of his child, by refusing to recognize his progeny or help her escape the unpleasantness of her sad and dangerous career. Behold the wonders of the untamed Native Americans as the great war chief Buffalow Hump, his hot-tempered half-Mexican son Blue Duck and the wily horse thief Kicking Horse steal, torture, rape, enslave, kill and otherwise terrorize the innumerable white people invading their lands like a plague of bison-killing locust.
Civilization vs Wilderness
The most important difference, in my mind, between Lonesome Dove and its prequels is that we get to spend considerably more time following the adventures and inner-life of the Indian protagonists. The contrast between the mostly rational but uneducated, bumbling cow-boys with the highly superstitious, deadly-efficient Indians makes for great comedy, wonder and horror. I found some of the main themes of these books to be the relationship between arrogance and ignorance as well as the pressing need for some men, “civilized” and “wild” alike, to prove their mantle by doing extraordinary (and unnecessarily dangerous) deeds, The parallel stories of Captain Inish Scull and Kicking Wolf in Comanche Moon being the prime examples.
McMurtry’s knack for depicting great female characters is still going strong, particularly with the witty and strong-willed Clara Forsythe/Allen and Matilda Roberts, a tough yet motherly black whore that manages to travel most of the way with these young fools. These go-getters provide a counter-point to the resourceful yet so delicate Maggie Tilton, a reluctant whore and long-suffering darling of Call’s distant love. The lustful and commandeering Inez Scull is another addition to this roster of well-crafted female characters.
The end of the beginning
With these prequels, McMurtry has managed to craft a suitable farewell to his beloved characters and provide a precious gift to the fans of the world of Lonesome Dove. I recommend them whole-heartedly to anyone looking for a thoughtful action-oriented reading experience.
