Books with author Jim Kjelgaard

It had not been easy to coax Caesar inside, even into a stable, but Franz had succeeded both in getting him in and in persuading the big Alpine Mastiff to sleep at his feet. Now, as the wind screamed through St. Bernard Pass and the frost cut like a sharp knife, Franz grinned to himself. He understood that the three other maronniers at the Hospice; the novices, or apprentice priests; the Aumonier, who welcomed guests and dispensed charity; the Clavandier, who watched over all stores; the Sacristan, whose duty it was to take charge of the Chapel; the Abbe, who watched over the novices; the four Canons, whose authority was exceeded only by that of the Prior, and even the great Prior himself, slept in unheated cells. He was not positive about this because anyone as lowly as he could never be sure about the doings of people as mighty as they. For all he knew, the Hospice would collapse if he spoke to any of the Canons, and the mountains themselves would tumble if he even looked at the Prior. But he thought it was true. If it was, then he, Franz Halle, the humblest of the humble maronniers, had by far the finest sleeping quarters in Great St. Bernard Pass. With fragrant hay as a mattress, plenty of blankets, a dog to keep his feet warm, and the four gentle cows of the Hospice to add their warmth to the stable, let the wind scream as it would and the frost crackle as it might. He would never care. Caesar shifted his position at Franz's feet, to bring his head nearer the boy's right hand. Franz took his hand from beneath the blankets to tickle Caesar's ears, and a worried frown creased his forehead. CONTENTS 1. THE SCHOOL 2. SHAME 3. THE GREEDY VILLAGER 4. NIGHT MISSION 5. THE "MARONNIER" 6. FATHER BENJAMIN 7. THE HOSPICE 8. A FREE DAY 9. THE BLIZZARD 10. THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 11. CAESAR'S SENTENCE 12. JEAN'S STORY 13. CAESAR'S FEAT 14. THE MESSAGE

Kjelgaard's subject is the little-known Camel Corps that did so much to open up our great Southwest. In particular, it is the thrilling tale of Hadji Ali (Americanized into Hi Jolly), the fugitive young Syrian camel driver who sought refuge in America with his loyal companion, Ben Akbar, the magnificent riding camel, to help survey a wagon road across the desert land between Fort Defiance and the California border, bridging the final gap in a transcontinental highway.

Kjelgaard's subject is the little-known Camel Corps that did so much to open up our great Southwest. In particular, it is the thrilling tale of Hadji Ali (Americanized into Hi Jolly), the fugitive young Syrian camel driver who sought refuge in America with his loyal companion, Ben Akbar, the magnificent riding camel, to help survey a wagon road across the desert land between Fort Defiance and the California border, bridging the final gap in a transcontinental highway.

This is a gripping tale of the fastest dog of them all. Tawny gave promise of being a great racing greyhound but, instead, he found his freedom in the heat and danger of the desert. His speed and courage helped him in a terrible struggle for survival. He could cope with the most feared of desert dwellers but then a deadly rattlesnake laid him low. He needed a great partner but where would he find one?

Excerpt:When the dog came to the weed-grown border of the clearing, he stopped. Then, knowing that his back could be seen over the weeds, he slunk down so that his belly scraped the earth. He was tense and quivering, and his eyes bore a haunted look. But there was nothing craven in them and little fear. In all his life the dog had never feared anything except the terrible torment that beset him now.He was of no recognizable breed, though all of his ancestors had been large dogs. There was a hint of staghound in his massive head and in his carriage, and somewhere along the way he had acquired a trace of Great Dane. His fur was silky, like a collie's, and there was a suggestion of bloodhound in his somewhat flabby jowls. Without purpose or plan, the blood of all these breeds had mingled to produce this big mongrel.