Posted by Mike Shaffer on May 10, 2000 at 16:44:28:

In Reply to: Ideas posted by Ron Choquette on May 09, 2000 at 04:21:10:

Nice thoughts, Ron.

1. The years as I recall were between 1870 and 1872. The majority of the Sackett books took place between 1870 and 1880. There were, I believe, 5 that took place before the 1850's, and 4 of those were in the 1600's.

2. "light a shuck" had to do with lighting a corn husk to ride at night. Most folks didn't ride at night, so it took on the meaning of leaving in a hurry, or not waiting around to leave. "hammer-headed roan" had to do with being hard-headed or stubborn, I often refer to my dog as "iron-headed" in the same manner. "brindle" is a term used to define any animal with black running through his coat...usually with fawn or a reddish color mixed in...gives it almost a tiger-like look in some cases when the animal is young, its less obvious as the animal ages, usually. "hog-backed" I'm less familiar with, but I took it to mean a ridge that ran along the landscape like the ridge on the back of a wild pig or boar...long slightly rounded and low.

3. Now, I took it to mean they thought Tell had been killed during the war. LL gives no evidence that there were other brothers besides Orrin, Bob, Joe, Tyrel and Tell born to Colborn and Mary Ann Sackett.

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