By western author Nick Brumby

“Beans are ready, boys. Eat’em or don’t, ain’t no skin off my nose. Any more complainin’ and you’ll have skunk for supper.”

A cattle drive cook works his magic in front of his chuckwagon. One of his most important jobs was carried out in the early hours, before the cowhands climbed out of their bedrolls, Around 3am cookie would grind roasted coffee beans to make a pot of joe — usually strong enough to “float a horseshoe.”

Chuckwagon food typically included easy-to-preserve items such as beans, salted meats, coffee, and sourdough biscuits. Food would also be gathered en route.

There was no fresh fruit, vegetables, or eggs available, and meat was not fresh unless a longhorn was injured during the run and therefore had to be killed.

The meat they ate was greasy cloth-wrapped bacon, salt pork, and beef, usually dried, salted or smoked.

On cattle drives, it was common for the cookie to be second in authority only to the trailboss. He wielded considerable power in the outfit and might earn four times the pay of the cowhands. His other duties included stakeholder on bets, arbiter on arguments, doctor and veterinarian, banker, barber and father-confessor.

Woe be it for any cowhand who fell foul of the cook.

About Nick Brumby

I like a good story. And of all stories, I love westerns the most.

As a kid, I spent far too many afternoons re-watching Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns, picking up ‘Shane’ for just one more read, or saddling up beside Ben Cartwright when ‘Bonanza’ was on TV each afternoon.

I’m a former journalist and I love horses, dogs, and the occasional bourbon whiskey. I live with my wife, daughter and our ever-slumbering hound in a 1800’s-era gold mining town – our house is right on top of the last working gold mine in the area. There may not be much gold left, but there’s history wherever you look.

I hope you enjoy my westerns as much as I enjoyed writing them!

Happy trails,

Nick