Distinctly Montana Magazine

W W W. D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA NA . C O M 31 D E PA R T M E N T L I T E R A R Y L O D E by DENIS O'NEILL H AVING TAKEN THE SHORT LEG BETWEEN THE PRONGS OF THE RIVER'S GIANT HORSESHOE, TOM AND MAGGIE FOUND THEM- SELVES STANDING AT FIRST LIGHT ON A FORTY-FOOT CLIFF ABOVE A DEEP POOL DOWNSTREAM OF THE GAUNTLET. A tributary carved a steep, obstructing gorge below where they stood, preventing any further progress. A sheer cliff faced them on the far side. Below the pool on the main river, there was a section of mild rapids, and below that the river evened out into slow, froggy water with rolling meadows on either side. is was the final stretch, where the river—exhausted by its wild ride through the Gauntlet— took a lazy breath before dumping into the Missouri River. Tom took in the jump once more; higher than was comfortable, but survivable. Man and dog backed up for a running start. ey launched themselves at almost the same time, sailed through the air for a few harrowing seconds, and plunged into the pool several yards apart. Tom bobbed to the surface to find Maggie already dog paddling in circles looking for him. Tom back-paddled to slow their speed as the tail-out of the pool began to sweep them ever faster into the start of the rapids. Man and dog angled close together. Tom draped an arm over the retriever's back. "Okay, Mags,... show me your stuff!" As any moving body of water has a headwater a starting point, so too does this novel. It started out as a humorous magazine article for Fly Rod & Reel ("Diary of a Mad Floater") following a six-day float trip down Montana's wilderness Smith River. From there, it flowed into an original screenplay which attracted Meryl Streep, director Curtis Hanson and the interest of Universal Studio, which released the motion picture incarnation in September of 1994. at flowed uninterrupted for nearly 20 years, until I decided the story should have a final life on the printed page. By then, there was more I wanted to say about the power and beauty of wild rivers and Mother Nature. e thriller ingredients, propelled by a vigorous downstream journey, provided the foundation I needed to add a new layer of suspense—a pursuing Montana state trooper not present in the film. I also wanted to add thoughts about the im- portance of preserving our natural resources. e result is this novel—which has been shaped by its tributaries—yet like all rivers, has an identity of its own. The River Wild (EDITOR'S NOTE: Tom is the father and husband, novice to river sports; Maggie is the family dog.) Denis O'Neill reads from the novel www.distinctlymontana.com/riverwild182 DISTINCTLY MONTANA | DIGITAL CONTINUED (EXCERPT FROM THE NOVEL)

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