1. Beau has an ungenerous opinion of lawyers. Was the role of lawyers in the old west different from their role today?

2. Why might the land in and around the Texas Hill Country be more fitting for sheep than for cattle?

3. Most cattle ranchers dislike sheep and sheep men. What does Joey learn about sheep from Alister McIntosh that makes him understand why someone would prefer sheep over cattle?

4. Does the image Joey has of the West as a kind of Sherwood Forest inhabited by Robin Hood and his men prove to be accurate?

5. What was the life of a woman like in the Old West?

6. In what ways did the life of former slaves, like old Reuben, change after they were freed?

7. How important is the concept of civility?