Synopsis
A young cowboy finds gold—and a whole lot of trouble—in this action-packed adventure in Ralph Compton&’s Sundown Riders series. It&’s the bitterest winter anyone can remember, and Earl Tyrone can barely hold back the wolves preying on his family&’s last few cattle. He gets no help from his older brother, Byrd, who&’s only interested in striking out for California. Leaving Earl the sole protector of their ma and sister, Byrd finally reveals the secret source of the funds for his ticket West: he found gold on the ranch, and now it's Earl&’s fortune to mine—if he&’s strong enough and smart enough to hold on to it. Earl realizes he&’ll have to weave a fabric of lies to protect his family and keep prospectors from swarming his land. He hits on a clever plan, but its unintended consequences are rife: painful misunderstandings, conflict with the Utes, and outright murder. Earl&’s stash of glittering gold has become instead a black cloud over his family. Can he come up with a new plan to dispel that cloud and find peace and stability at last?
