When Pete Runyan, a bitter southerner, joins the crew, Isaac has to swallow his rage more than once. But then Pete and Isaac are assigned the task of getting cash--profits from the sale of the herd--safely to the Fort Worth bank before a foreclosure deadline. Time and three gunmen on their trail are against them, and their journey becomes a race to prove who is the best man.

First published in 1972 by Bantam as a mass market paperback, Wagontongue is one of Elmer Kelton's classic novels, exploring racial relations on the West Texas plains in the low-key, wry, and compassionate voice that characterizes Kelton's novels. The novel grew from a short story, included in this volume.