The endearing hero of many other Gaston books is swept up out of his comfortable bayou lair by a hurricane and dropped in the plains of West Texas. Taken in by a group of rough-looking cowboys, Gaston begins his western adventure, one that leads him through the tribulations facing a greenhorn cowboy determined to ride broncos, tame mustangs, bulldog steers, and lasso and brand mavericks. Fetchingly decked out in his ten-gallon Stetson and cowboy boots, the unpracticed alligator learns first-hand the difficult life of a cowboy on the range, but he adapts to the challenge, winning the grudging respect of his fellow cowhands.