Deal Me In Story #3: Buffalo Horns by Arthur Winfield Knight

Card Drawn: Q♠

Anthology: The Montanans, edited by Bill Pronzini and Martin H. Greenberg

Story: “Buffalo Horns,” by Arthur Winfield Knight, 1991

For the first western short story of the Deal Me In Challenge, “Buffalo Horns” was a bit unusual. The story takes place in 1929 in Hardin, Montana. Not exactly the heart of the West. But that’s the point of this story, I guess. It’s a wistful look back at a time gone by, more of a vignette than a story. It’s beautiful in its own way, but not the kind of story I was hoping for. It probably would have struck me more poignantly if I had read it in order, since it comes towards the end of the anthology. Maybe after reading a bunch of traditional stories of the West, Knight’s story of an aging train robber would have had a greater impact.

My Rating: ⭑⭑⭑✩✩