By Louis L’Amour
This is a story about the movement west during a time when all was new and many men hungered for the power and wealth of the western land. The author begins the story with the mystery of a swamp and a young traveler going to the western rivers to ply his trade of building boats. Discovery of a dieing man in the swamp and then being joined by a peg-legged traveler that seemed to know more about him than would be expected. He holds his family name and secrets, from those he encounters.
A young girl, Miss Majoribanks, enters the picture and Talon is smitten by her beauty and freshness even though she seems to be completely oblivious of him except as a servant or employee. This encounter changes his mindset on what he is going to do in the immediate point in time. The events of the story produce a backdrop of intrigue and suspense to the travel that is under taken. The actions that need to be taken by Talon are directly reflected in his watchfulness of Miss Majoribanks.
Things continue to happen that pull Talon further into the events surrounding the search for Miss Majoribanks brother and the potential of a land grab by the evil Baron Torville. It is strange how bad people always believe that the people around them are blind, stupid and don’t care about what happens. The involvement of Talon is a prime example of western people who take responsibility for their actions and the actions of others.
This is a good western story that gets you going early and keeps you turning pages through the night. Being one of my favorite western authors and all time great storytellers Louis L’Amour heads my list of western authors. This book is a must read.
