The Busted Ex-Texan, and Other Stories

Set among the towering firs along the trail to Kicking Horse Pass, the opening tale drops listeners into a moonlit camp where laughter rolls across the prairie. An ex‑Texan, half‑broke and a little embarrassed, stumbles into the circle of fire and discovers that shared warmth can turn strangers into friends in an instant. Murray paints the crackling blaze, the babbling brook, and the crisp mountain air so vividly that the night feels palpable.

The collection moves on to a boisterous New Year’s celebration for Deacon Tubman and Parson Whitney, then a gentle vignette titled “The Leaf of Red Rose,” each blending wit with quiet sentiment. Murray’s rhythmic prose is ideally suited to audio, letting the natural cadence of frontier dialogue carry the listener forward. Even as the characters confront minor setbacks—a wayward horse, a mischievous cow, a lost wager—their good‑natured resilience keeps the mood buoyant.