Gerald L. Holmes
41) Wagons west
45) The fling
A terrible winter storm strikes the Texas Panhandle. Down at Slim's place, Hank and Drover listen to the wind howling outside, watching the snow pile up outside. The phone rings. It's High Loper. Baby Molly has a bad cough and needs medicine. Can Hank go out into the blizzard and make it all the way to Headquarters with the cough medicine? Or, will he be captured and eaten by Rip and Snort?
Slim rescues an orphan raccoon, and much to Hank's dismay, everyone on the ranch is enchanted with the "cute" baby coon with the beady little eyes and amazing little hands. Yet, little do they know that every time midnight rolls around, Eddy the Rac is seized with uncontrollable fits and it's Hank's responsibility to guard the crafty masked bandit every moment! Soon Hank finds himself teaming up with Eddy to liberate the poor "singing" cookies.
...For twenty-five years, readers have enjoyed watching Drover, Hank's trusty sidekick try to finagle himself out of every dangerous situation that arises on the ranch. But what happened before Drover came to the ranch? Well, it's all here - from his early days as runt of the litter, through his fruitless search for a job, to his ultimate position as Hank's right-paw man.
When it comes to dealing with Tuerto, the one-eyed stud horse from the next ranch over, Hank's usual approach is not to approach him at all. But when Tuerto breaks loose and charges Little Alfred and his cousins, it's up to Hank to save them.
Pete warns Hank that a stray dog has invaded the ranch and is lurking inside the machine shed. Naturally, Hank goes to investigate, and sure enough, he finds the Phantom Dog—in an old mirror stored in the machine shed. But then Drover looks into the same mirror and sees a "Handsome Prince." Holy smokes, it appears that two dogs have invaded the ranch!
Against her better judgment, Sally May leaves the ranch in Slim's care. While Slim naps, Hank and Little Alfred subject strawberry ice cream to rigorous product testing and then go for a ride in a mysterious spaceship. But, it's when Slim finally awakens that their adventures really begin. Hank saves Slim from sure death, endures a terrible whipping from the Hooking Bull, and much, much more.