Ralph Compton

WHERE THE LIVING IS HARD AND THE KILLING IS EASY... It's in the lawless Indian Territory that Daniel Strange meets his demise. Riding his chestnut mare to Texas to buy himself some cattle, the best gunsmith in St. Joseph, Missouri, gets waylaid by a pack of murdering outlaws. His lifeless body is left dangling at the end of a rope -- robbing his family of a loving husband and father. ...DEATH CAN'T KEEP A GOOD MAN DOWN Now, a mysterious gunslinger...

An extraordinary saga of the trailblazing cowboys who made their fortune driving cattle from Texas to the great Frontier.

The nephews of Steve Austin, the founder of Texas, must ride into a hostile Mexico to aid a longtime friend in a cattle and horse drive.

Through a thousand miles of dust, fists, and guns, they found the courage to keep on driving. The only riches Texans had left after the Civil War were five million maverick longhorns and the brains, brawn and boldness to drive them north to where the money was. Now, Ralph Compton brings this violent and magnificent time to life in an extraordinary epic series based on the history-making trail drives. The Virginia City Trail With a dream of building...

Hamp comes to the aid of his hot-tempered friend, Clint, after he is jailed for killing a cheating gambler, bribing the guards to let him go. But no sooner is Clint free than he kills a local rancher with vengeful friends who will do anything to see Clint hanged.

"Owen Burnett's needs are small. All he's ever wanted is his wife's affection, his children's health, and a little plot of land to farm. Still, he's no fool. So when his neighbor Gareth Kurst makes him a business proposition, one that could leave him richer than he's ever dreamed, he can't refuse giving the risky scheme a try. Rounding up cattle up in the Texas Hill Country is nothing to take on lightly. Between the Comanches roaming the countryside...

"Big Jake Motley had been running the Big M spread in Texas for over 30 years. In that time, he's driven thousands of head of cattle to market in Kansas. Now, while both the Nineteenth century and the era of trail drive are coming to an end, Big Jake is determined to make one last drive to Kansas. The only thing is, he doesn't have the cowhands to move that much beef. He drafts his old friend, Chance McCandles, into service, and together, the two...

"One terrible day, fourteen-year-old Leif Gunnarson returns from school to find his family home on fire, and a gruesome scene inside: his parents are tied up, on the brink of death amongst the hellish flames, and his sister is nowhere to be found. His father can barely gasp a name: Luther Simkins. And with that Leif has his life's mission: to track down Simkins, notorious outlaw and gang leader, and find his sister. Along the way, Leif finds a temporary...

"After years as a professional gambler--and a deadly shootout on a riverboat casino--Tom Calvert and his young protégé, Asher Smith, have survived an arduous journey across the frontier to Friendly Field, Idaho. The bucolic Quaker community welcomes them with open arms, and soon Tom is courting a widow and learning, to his surprise, to enjoy the quiet life. Then an elder of Friendly Field is found murdered, and the townsfolk start whispering about...

"Capturing and breaking wild horses is a tough way to make a living, but Montana ranch owner Ethan Miller's problems are just getting started. When his buyer falls through, the only other market he can find for his herd is the US Cavalry. But that means driving two hundred horses all the way from Bozeman, Montana, to Fort Davis, Texas. No sooner has he complete the dangerous trek than he's issued an ultimatum. A shipment of rifles and ammunition has...