Bass Reeves grew up a slave. He was skilled with animals and weapons. He later got in a spat with his master and ran away. He lived with the Indians for a while. Later when he knew he was free, he returned and lived as a farmer. When U.S. Marshals were needed to fight the lawlessness in Indian country, he was the ideal candidate. He had tracking and weapon skills as well as experience with languages. Being black may also have been a benefit, as the white criminals would not expect as much from him. He did a great job and caught many criminals - including his own son. The first half of the book covers his early history - this may be the most heavily fictional part. It does make a good story, but it is hard to tell how much is real. (He does come across as very naive and innocent.) The life as a Marshall may be a little more documentable.
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