Description

Some call him iron-handed, he would say “focused” Owning a ranch leaves no room for tomfoolery. On Asa’s ranch, the day starts before the sun comes up and keeps on goin’ until the work is done (and not a second before).
He has no time to suffer deadbeats or troublemakers. Folks who cross him find themselves at the receiving end of a reminder of “who’s the boss ‘round here,” administered Barzell, Asa’s right-hand man.
The way Asa sees it, his sternness is justified: Life is dog-eat-dog and without discipline he would never survive the revenuers, rustlers, and ruthless widows who vie for a piece of his ranching fortune. A private man, Asa does not share his thoughts and feelings—unless those thoughts include “Get back to work!” You can follow Asa’s musings on our Short Branch Twitter account, hashtag Asa (#Asa)