The Trail to Peach Meadow Canyon » (19311 Blackstone)

Louis L'Amour's 115 title-plus bibliography is astonishing on its own; even more so given the fact that his writing career did not start in earnest until his 40s. Simply being prolific, however, does not a bestselling author make. L'Amour's Western stories, as written by a real-life adventurer, capture the survivalism and code of honor on which the American frontier mythology rests.

Orphaned as a child, Mike Bastian was taken in by the legendary outlaw Ben Curry, raised and trained to take over his empire of crime. Today, Mike is the quickest draw and the stealthiest tracker around, and Ben Curry is getting ready to retire. To test Mike’s wings, he has set him a task: the planning and execution of a gold-train robbery.

Now, as he prepares for his first criminal job, Mike must decide whether to follow the path that has been set before him or to carve out a destiny of his own. If he assumes the position of gang leader, he will face deadly competition from within Curry’s band; yet if he refuses, he may not be allowed to leave the pack alive. The dilemma is further complicated when he falls for Drusilla, Ben Curry’s real daughter, who knows nothing of her father’s career. Either way Mike chooses, a showdown is in store.