Schaefer shares the individual stories of seven people rancher, sheepherder, homesteader, town settler, soldier, miner, and cowboy in this collection. He tells the tales as they can only be told: in the open spaces of the Old West. In these memorable narratives Schaefer depicts the unique conflicts of settler life and captures the spirit of the resolute, willful, determined, and broken characters found on the Western frontier.

In these classic stories acclaimed author Jack Schaefer yet again captures the spirit and adventure of the Old West. First Blood, Schaefer s follow-up to Shane, tells the tale of Jess Harker, a young stagecoach driver finding his way in this coming-of-age story. Jess admires Race Crimm, the Company s top messenger, for his stature and wild abandon and would have shucked ten years of his] life to be driving beside him. Jess, eager to ride the big trails, has the chance to prove himself by driving an important shipment when trouble arises. Facing hard choices of honor and...

In this true Western classic Jack Schaefer tells the story of a mysterious stranger who finds himself in the Wyoming Territory joining local homesteaders in their fight to keep their land and avoid the intimidating tactics of cattle driver Luke Fletcher. While trying to leave his gunslinging days behind him, the mysterious stranger, Shane, is tested by Fletcher and his men. In Shane, Schaefer executes a perfect Western narrative while exploring the overarching themes of virtue, the human condition, and a man s search for self.

Readers searching for courage and adventure will find just that and more in the engaging prose of Jack Schaefer in this vintage collection of Western vignettes. Exploring varied tales of life in the West, Schaefer shares the stories of exceptional characters conflicted with humanity as they navigate the challenges and opportunities that can only be found on the frontier. From the humor in Cat Nipped to the common concerns found in Prudence by Name, Jack Schaefer again places himself as the authentic voice of the West. Other stories in the collection include Something Lost, Leander Frailey,...