Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal Elizabeth Bush Nelson, Vaunda Micheaux. Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal; illus. by R. Gregory Christie. Carolrhoda, 2009 42p. ISBN 978-0-8225-6764-6 $17.95 R Gr. 3-6 When it comes to tales of the Wild West, it's a lot easier to find colorful scoundrels and complex antiheroes than good guys, but here Nelson makes a convincing case that as heroes go, Bass Reeves was the real deal. Born a slave in Texas, Reeves initially ended up on the wrong side of the law after striking his owner, a capital crime for a slave. The end of the Civil War brought Reeves freedom and safety from prosecution, and he settled near the Indian Territory where he had taken refuge as an outlaw. When the need arose for deputy marshals to round up criminals, a man like Bass, who knew the region intimately, was a natural choice, and he embarked on the the most notable years of his adult life. Nelson tells of his disguises, ruses, and wit in the zesty style of a tall tale, but she makes it clear this is no whimsical flight of fancy: "Bass came across an angry mob lynching a man. Without a word, Bass cut the man down and put him on the back of his sorrel. This was near as risky as a grasshopper landing on an anthill. But the mob just watched in awe as he rode off." Christie provides broad-brushed, muscular paintings of a commanding Reeves, as dignified in slouch hat disguise as in his black suit and Stetson. End matter includes a photograph of Bass Reeves, a glossary of Western terms, a timeline, bibliographies, and notes on related historical topics. The unintimidating picture-book format will be a boon to struggling biography-report writers and a delight to anyone who simply wants to mosey through Western lore. Copyright © 2010 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois