South Through Bare Foot Pass
Legends, myths and folklore are whispers from the past, perhaps
incomplete, faded and often have questionable origins. They are small
aspects of people’s lives and events scattered through the aged memories of
hand-me-down tales, embellished, re-colored and often presented as the
absolute truths.
South Through Barefoot Pass is a 122 page book of thirteen short
stories, three essays and
photographs and illustrations of the Ozarks and beyond.
Ride with Butcher Redoak in the Last Osage in a saga pertaining to the
removal of Chief Lone Eagle and small band of his followers from their
ancestral land along the Niangua River Basin. It is a fictitious story based on
actual events. The actual event took place on near the Valley of the Moon.
The Ghost of Dugan Lane is based on folklore yet sworn by many to be
the truth where the Ghost of Amanda Down walks a shadowy road in search
of her infant daughter. The only facts in the story is the location where an
old two story homestead house, barn and well shed stood, before they were
mysteriously destroyed by fire one night several years ago.
A Tale or Two of Marshal Edward Hiccup, (And Outlaw Black Jack
Ace), is purely fiction. It is a rowdy comedy of the two old gents trapped in
an 1800’s old folk’s home. There is a grain of truth in the story, depicting
dates and events. The Rusty Bucket and Dog Leg saloons may not have
existed, but many like them did scattered through the small Ozark towns.
They were notorious places, often immoral and lawless.
One by one the stories and essays will take you back along forgotten
roads and times. Humor, adventure, tragedy, hope and faith are the
foundation of the tales.
Adventure lies ahead along a crooked road that slips through Barefoot
Pass to watch the morning mist rise from the Niangua River. You will see
images along this narrow trace and will not be certain which is real or
imaginary. The Ozarks is truly a place of mystery and the keeper of many
secrets. Ride easy my friend, watch your topknot and do the best you can.
This book is signed and dated and are $14.00 each + $3.00 shipping
Tiddleson, Son of Tiddle
The story begins at Wicklow Mountain in Ireland, journeys across an unforgiving sea to America, and moves back along paths so narrow a rabbit can hardly walk, all the way to a big rock that stands on a high knoll deep in a cedar forest in the wilderness Ozarks along the Niangua River. Tiddleson, Son of Tiddle is the tale of a clan of extremely small humans baptized the Amicus. They are ordinary people in most respects, except they rarely stand taller than six inches. The Amicus are mortals subject to death whether by age or unnatural causes. And like their lager human counterparts, the Amicus has far reaching aspects in many different races and bloodlines. In 700 B. C., a group of Amicus are said to have traveled the south road though the foothills of Little Ararat Mountain, which lead to the great city of Tob. They spoke of a creator who gave them the name Amicus, (faithful, true to the extreme), a name in stark contrast to the lager Mendex humans, (untruthful) A creator that set a mark, a dandelion stem that would forever determine their height. He wisely created them from clay said to have come from the Garden of Eden, near the confluence of a river several miles away. The Amicus received uncommon running speed, strength and a potential lifespan of over 900 years. The Amicus are not to be confused with Gnomes, Leprechauns, Elves and other fabled fairy tale characters. Each clan is relatively small and the eldest takes the responsibility of leader and thereafter that leader’s first child inherits the leadership by birthright. Tiddleson, Son of Tiddle is one such leader. After reaching the cedar forest in wilderness America the Amicus take up residence in the many caverns in a huge pinnacle of stone called the Washaga, a sacred site of the Washshashe people, (Osage Indians). The tinkle of a hammer on steel is occasionally heard coming from the stone, more often the plaintiff music of a hickory flute or fiddle. It is a place where children play no larger than grasshoppers, guarded well against the dangers of a very large and dangerous world. The Mendex once again as in Ireland slowly advance, often forcing the Amicus to fight to the death for their survival. This book is 308 pages with 17 illustrations and is a limited, numbered, dated and signed edition of three hundred copies.
Price of first 150 books is $17.00 each + $3.00 shipping
All the books on this site are printed by the Morris Publishing Company, 3212 East Highway 30, Kearney, NE 68847 and are of excellent quality and craftsmanship.
All books on this site are published independently by Crossroad Publication, 3 Moon Valley Road, Windyville, Missouri 65783 and are the soul property of the Author