Trail's End

The third book of the Trail's Trilogy is now available for sale locally in Molalla and on Amazon.


TRAIL'S END



Allie Jo carries two dreams in her heart, neither of which is settling down to act the part of a proper female.

She is working hard to rope and tie down one but the other is as elusive as the wind blowing across the barely tamed New Mexico Territory.

BITS & PIECES

To sit alone in the lamplight with a book spread out before you and hold intimate converse with men of unseen generations-----such a pleasure beyond compare.

Yoshida Kenko



Trail's End

Dust flew from behind Allie Jo's horse as she raced after a calf. She rolled out the reata into a noose and whirled it above her head. In one swift motion she roped the animal around the neck. Quickly, she wrapped the lariat around the saddle horn as her horse backed up to keep the rope taut. Allie Jo slid her hand down the tight lariat to the bawling calf. Reaching under the youngster, she grasped the two legs on the opposite side, pulled, and flipped it on its side. She yanked the small piece of rope from her teeth and used it to lash three hooves together.

"He's tied!" Allie Jo cried as she jumped up and tossed her arms high above her head.

"Good job!" Amanda said, "You're faster 'n me."

The girl wrestler untied the calf and released the lariat. "I don't know about that but we're both gettin' pretty good."

"I think we should get paid fore workin' at this spring's roundup," said Amanda.

"I'm gonna talk to my pa about it. I believe that if we work like men, we should get paid like men," Allie Jo said.

Amanda laughed, "Yeah, well that ain't never gonna happen, but maybe we'll get somethin'. I'm hopin' to earn enough to buy the lady's riding skirt and blouse that's in the catalog at the mercantile, ain' you Allie Jo?"

"Nah, I got plans that I'm savin' my money for."

"Oh, let's see, could it be for another horse like that one there that your pa let you buy last year from Mr. Jones?"

"He didn't let me. I had my own money that I earned workin' the cattle drive. I don't need permission from my pa, I'm sixteen for cryin'-our-loud," allie Jo snapped, "I'm perfectly capable of makin' my own decisions."

"Ok, Miss Independent, but don't you want to look more womanly so you can get married someday?" Amanda asked.

"I'll worry about that when the time comes. Wearin' boy clothes gets me work and work gets me money. For now that is what I need to do. Do you wanna do some team ropin'? I get to be the header, there's no way I can be the heeler and rope the hind legs, you're better at that than me. I need the bigger target," Allie Jo laughed.

"Ok," Amanda said, "you get the front and I'll get the back. Let's do anything that will keep us from talking about your future."

TRAIL TO TOMORROW

Soon I was marching across the prairie carrying my gun and a few extra shells in my apron pocket. There is a cluster of old nut trees not too far away were rabbits have made a nest among the fallen limbs and branches. I would be able to find supper there. I would take Tucker with me, but I'm not going far and he's always been a little gun-shy.

I sat down at the bottom of a small tree with my back against its trunk, a little ways from the thicket. I waited with the long-gun laid across my lap. I waited and waited. The sun's warm rays beat down on me through the tree branches and began to make me drowsy.

My eyes popped open from what I hoped was just a short nap. Two turkeys stood at the opening in the brush. I can't believe it! We haven't had turkeys here in over a year. I can hear more of them in the thicket. Slowly, I took careful aim and squeezed the trigger. Feathers flew and all the turkeys scattered, except one nice big Tom. Good! I got one!

TRAIL TO TOMORROW

I headed back with my pail of warm milk. Stopping at the hen house I gathered four brown eggs and stuffed them into my apron pockets. As I came from the hen house, I saw a sight that made me stop dead in my tracks. Not more than a few yards away, stood a coyote. I turned my head slowly from one side of the yard to the other to see if there were more. Coyotes usually run in packs at night, but strangely here he was in the morning sunlight. He snarled, showing his mouth full of sharp teeth. I slowly started inching my way back toward the hen house, where I could lock myself inside. The coyote lowered his head, but kept his dark eyes on me. White foam drooled from his mouth. He snarled again and staggered in my direction. My heart pounded in my throat and sweat started to form on my forehead. I wanted to yell for Ma, but I was afraid the beast would attack me if I made a sound. And I know that if I made a sudden move I will likely be his breakfast.

A blast echoed across the prairie that made me jump, sloshing the milk down my skirt and into my shoe. The coyote flew a good arm's length before dropping dead in the dry dirt. Ma stood in the doorway holding the long-gun, smoke oozing from the barrel.

WESTWARD HO!

When Allie Jo's Family sets out to move to New Mexico, she finds her dream of being a real Cowboy isn't quite what she thought it would be.

Trailing in the drag position behind a herd of Longhorns, she learns about dust, tedium, storms, and stampedes.

But none that is as hard as keeping her secret from a young cattle drover.

Allie Jo may be riding as a boy, but her heart is still all girl.

Carrol's Bio

Carrol Haushalter has a real connection with children and that is why her books have touched their hearts and minds.

She has taken children on a western adventure as she tells the story of a young girl and boy who meet on a trail ride moving a herd of longhorns from Texas to New Mexico. The story unfolded in Trail from yesterday and Trail to tomorrow and will soon culminate in the third installment of this thrilling trilogy Trails End.

Carrol's books have an exciting realism to them and so they should. She was told of the real life story of her Great-Grandparent's trail ride from Texas to New Mexico as part of a cattle drive and Carrol rode her own horse on that trail to complete her research for her books.

When not writing or entertaining children in her cowgirl regalla, Carrol can be found on a small farm in Mulino, Oregon with her husband and a number of goats, chickens, and dog. Her creativity is inspired by her rural environment and the adventures she experiences in this truly western community.

By: Helen Liere