Devastated by losses in both livestock and crops on the Kansas prairie in the late 1870s, Steve and his parents push farther west to Colorado for a fresh beginning. The raw nature of the landscape and wildlife—still untamed by developing trains and canals—captivates Steve. Yet the consequent lack of established law leaves men of ill-will unchecked. Broken treaties between the government and Ute Indians lay a foundation for both white men and Indians to take advantage of the unsettled situation. Tensions mount, and Steve is thrust to the forefront of the struggle as his father and Chief Ouray both strive to keep peace and to treat all men with justice.

From the Bethlehem Books edition