Pathfinder

Cheyenne

by Judd Cole

An Indian raised in the white man’s world, Touch the Sky never forgot the kindness of the settlers, and tried to help them whenever possible. But an old friend’s request to negotiate a treaty between the Cheyenne and gold miners brought the young brave face to face with a cunning warrior. If Touch the Sky couldn’t defeat his new enemy, the territory would never again be safe for pioneers!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Judd Cole is the pseudonym used by John Edward Ames (who has also written 31 books as Judd Cole including the popular Cheyenne series) lives in New Orleans and has been a fulltime writer since 1986, when he sold his first novel, The Force.
Since quitting his job teaching English composition at the University of New Mexico, he has written 83 published books (and six more as a ghostwriter). He has written one nonfiction book, The Real Deadwood, as John Ames.
He is also a freelance journalist and has appeared in many national and large urban newspapers, Including The Christian Science Monitor, as well as dozens of Web sites.
"More than anybody now writing about that long-ago time and place of the Old West, John Edward Ames most reminds me of my old friend and mentor, Will Henry. I can truly think of no higher compliment to give either man."
Terry C. Johnston, author of Winter Rain

135 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 1994

About the author

Also writes as John Edward Ames

Reviews

[John Reis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A small railroad is coming through the area. It is run by Caleb Riley, the brother of Tom Riley, who Touch the Sky knows from his days living with whites. They will pay a peace price to the Cheyenne to build unmolested. Caleb asks Touch the Sky to act as pathfinder for the laying of the rail.

Sis-ki-dee is a vicious deadly renegade Blackfoot. He and his 50 Blackfoot renegades are hiding in Cheyenne territory. He decides to demand a peace price from the railroad. Touch the Sky fights Sis-ki-dee but does not kill him thus making an enemy for life.

Sis-ki-Dee attacks the rail construction crew three times killing and wounding more than a half-dozen in each attack. He tears up track and nearly derails the train.

In the meantime, Black Elk and Wolf Who Hunts Smiling are up to their petty ways, griping about Touch the Sky’s loyalties. Wolf Who Hunts Smiling at one point reaches out to Sis-ki-dee and forms a partnership with him. This bodes badly for Touch the Sky.

These are simple stories. I am though tired of Touch the Sky’s enemies within the tribe. The book drags in the middle but picks up in the last fifty pages.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Cheyenne series of historical westerns remains the only long-running westerns series in which I've read every volume. There were a total of 22 volumes. The author, Judd Cole, is someone I know, and he is a professional writer who writes both quickly and well. These books are told from the Cheyenne point of view, with a native American character who was raised by whites but returns to the Cheyenne as a young man. He is not completely accepted there either, and he finds many adventures on his way to being accepted by his people.

These are fast paced stories with a sympathetic hero and a lot of action and adventure. I highly recommend them all.