"Blood Sky" deals with the effects of nature's predictability on a small group of ranchers when a protracted drought followed by an extended period of rain leads to frayed nerves and sudden violence. "The Contest" pits a determined hunter against a vengeful buck he once wounded in a powerful clash of wills. "The Far-Travelin' Man" is an off-trail character study of revenge and redemption set in the Tennessee hill country. Stage coach passengers...

"In the early days of the Texas Territory, only those with courage and strength could survive. . . There was a cattle crossing at Mustang Creek. It was miles from anywhere, and no one had ever lived there -- until Elizabeth Rettig came. Since she knew the Texans would be driving their great herds of longhorns by on the way to Dodge, she set up a trading post. The territory was plagued by deadly tornadoes, burning summers, and freezing winters. Indians...

"Meade Bigelow had sweated blood to build a mining empire in Wyoming. But he'd be damned if he'd let thieves crush honest people just to fatten their pokes. Overnight the town of Silver City exploded with gunfire. Men took sides: Conover's side when their loyalty was bought and paid for; Bigelow's side when they were fed up with the gang that had made the town rotten. Bigelow swore he would blast the company to bits. He deliberately cocked his guns...