Tirley O’Malley came from a long line of explorers and men of temper. By the time, he was born, his father had become mostly ‘civilized’ and had a farm. Tirley was the youngest of four boys and, at eight, was indentured for a ten year contract to learn silversmithing.
For four years, Tirley was mostly a slave, suffering almost daily beatings and missed meals. The smith’s boy, a few years older, was an irritant, a soft, pudgy boy who Tirley called ‘Old Satchel Butt,” When the O’Malley temper overcame Tirley. the boy went whining to father who came after Tirley with a buggy whip. Not about to stand for that, he conked the man on the head with a pitchfork handle, ‘Old Satchel Butt’ fainted, and Tirley cleared out.
The only place to go was west.
And there the boy grew into a man, adopted by the Pawnee where he earned the name Thunder Hawk from killing a Sioux about to kill his Pawnee brother just as a bolt of lightning . accompanied by a thunderclap, struck near while a red hawk was overhead.
Over the years, he partners with Old Bill Williams, a young and green Jim Bridger, and forges a reputation as a fierce warrior, his legend growing with almost every incident.
Quite good. The fourth book in the O’Malley saga. The first three have already been ordered and are on the way.
charlesgramlich said:
Sounds good. I like these kinds of coming of age type stories.