173. Will James, Smoky the Cowhorse
One of the most convincing voices in children’s western books spoke French before he spoke English. Will James, a drifter who served time in Nevada for rustling cattle, was born Joseph Ernest Nephtali Dufault in Quebec. He spoke English with an accent, which he ascribed to being adopted by a fur trader, “old trapper Jean” Beaupré, whom he called “Bopy.”
Like all good fiction, there was a seed of truth in it—he’d learned wrangling from a cowboy named Pierre Beaupré in Saskatchewan before crossing into Montana and assuming the name William Roderick James. He was first published by an editor who believed his writing revealed “authentic American vernacular.”
In his most famous book, Smoky the Cowhorse (1926), a cowboy’s prized horse is stolen and abused, broken down over years of rough use in rodeos. He ends up, ruined and unrecognizable, pulling a hack in town—until the cowboy who first tamed him spots him by a scar, buys him back, and nurses him through old age.
To my way of thinking there's something wrong, or missing, with any person who hasn't got a soft spot in their heart for an animal of some kind…To me, the horse is man's greatest, most useful, faithful, and powerful friend. He never whines when he's hungry or sore footed or tired, and he'll keep on a going for the human till he drops. The horse is not appreciated and never will be appreciated enough,—few humans, even them that works him, really know him.
Will James, preface to Smoky the Cowhorse
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This post is part of The American 250, a series featuring 250 objects made by Americans, located in America, in honor of the country's 250th anniversary. 250 words on 250 works, from January 1 to December 31, 2026.
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