I
have just completed my first ever novel. It is a 47,714 work of
fiction entitled: "The Legend of Hermit Jack." It describes
the adventures of Will and Sally, two children in an 1880's western
mining town who adopt an orphan dog. The story follows all three as
they endure loss, learn of love, and hold tightly to their hopes and
dreams while coping with the dangers of living deep in the Rocky
Mountains. They are separated and later reunited, in a "coming
of age" story that is told in part from the unique
perspective of the four-legged, "bacon bandit" named Hermit Jack.
My
wife and I purchased property in North Central Colorado. It was
formerly a working ranch, marketed by the real estate agent as
"Hermit Jack Ranch." Ironically, no one seemed to know whom
Hermit Jack was or how he came to have a ranch named after him. I
took advantage of this oddity and created these three characters to
tell Hermit Jack's story.
The
story evolves into a tale of a young man losing everything yet never
deterring from fulfilling his father's dream of owning a ranch.
However, his journey to that fulfillment and those he meets along the
way, are far from typical.
Will
watched as the dog headed toward the bakery for a slice of freshly
baked bread and to the restaurant for a taste of last night's
leftovers. He rounded the corner to greet the boarding house
cook who always had strips of freshly cooked bacon. If he found
any of the wooden doors closed, he would make a soft growl, and the
door would immediately open. At each stop, there was a smiling
human, satisfied that he or she had done their duty for the black and
white Border collie.
Finally,
he would jump up on the wooden boardwalk in front of the General
store.
A
sound startled Will and he turned to look behind him. A girl
came out of the store with an old tin plate full of water. She
placed it on the wooden boardwalk. Will watched as the collie
leapt up next to the tin plate and started drinking.
The
little girl proudly said, "I see you've met Hermit Jack."
The
boy looked over the collie, then said "funny name for a
dog."
"Well, I named him after Jack Creek, south of
town." she pointed. "Any loud noises scare him so he
burrows a hole under the boardwalk. He'll stay there for
hours, just like that old hermit, up in the hills. Anyway, I
usually just call him Jack for short."
"Hmmpf,"
he seems like nothing more than a bacon bandit to me"
Thank
you for your time and consideration
Dale
Warren
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