
In the high, isolated reaches of the White Mountains, the forest glows with the last light of day, a tapestry of fir, spruce, and distant echoes of wildlife. Milt Dale, a lone hunter who knows the land like the back of his hand, moves through this wilderness with a quiet reverence, his senses attuned to the rustle of birds, the call of coyotes, and the distant murmur of a brook. He has forged an uneasy peace with the nearby Apache, sharing the forest’s solitude while keeping a wary eye out for the roving bands of sheep‑thieves who threaten the fragile balance.
When a sudden storm rolls in, Dale seeks shelter in an abandoned log cabin, only to discover that a notorious gang of outlaws—led by the fearsome Snake Anson—has already taken refuge there. Hidden in the loft, he must decide whether to confront the danger head‑on or wait, his rifle poised, as the men below plot their next move. The tension between the untamed wilderness and the encroaching lawlessness sets the stage for a gripping tale of survival, loyalty, and the raw power of the forest.
Language
en
Duration
~11 hours (654K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Richard Fane, and David Widger
Release date
2002-10-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1872–1939
Best known for turning the American West into fast-moving adventure stories, he helped shape the popular Western novel for generations of readers. Before becoming a full-time writer, he trained and worked as a dentist, then went on to publish dozens of books and become one of the genre’s biggest names.
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