THE DAY THE COWBOYS QUIT

Elmer Kelton uses the cowboy strike of 1883 as an opportunity to dramatize the complex psychology of the hardscrabble men who lived by the code of the Old West. Bradbury deftly portrays rugged, independent Hugh "Hitch" Hitchcock in a warm baritone. Hitch loves the cowboy life but takes on the challenge of maintaining law and order, for which he must summon all his diplomatic skills. Pete Bradbury uses minimal vocal changes to differentiate the many male characters, thereby allowing listeners to get caught up in the story. His pacing is excellent as he delivers the story’s frontier atmosphere. An engaging narrator, Bradbury sustains listener interest even in the concluding courtroom drama. S.C.A. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2008]