Spurs for José (Paperback)
An unforgettable journey inspired by true events, Spurs for Jos brims with action and excitement. It is a coming-of-age story, not just for one young Indian vaquero, but also for California as it becomes the thirty-first state of the United States.In the fall of 1846, when Jos Rodriquez turns twelve, his papa says next spring he must help tame Rancho Grande's wild colts. He knew this day would come. For on the Alta California rancho, being a vaquero and training horses was his family's tradition. Vaqueros' horsemanship and roping skills were legendary and their lives full of danger. Many vaqueros had been killed or crippled while riding the mustangs. Did he have enough courage to ride the wild ones and measure up to his papa's expectations? Worried, Jos decides only luck will help him be fearless enough to ride the wild colts, luck he will get from a pair of silver spurs and chaps made from a brave bull's hide. But he has no money. How can he buy silver spurs? Then the Mexican-American war starts. And a few days before Christmas, Colonel John C. Fremont's battalion camps on Rancho Grande and everything changes.