Wagon Train West

by Lauran Paine

Kit Butler and Lige Turner are weathered trackers—trappers who once lived among the Dakota people as brothers, learning their language, their land, and their way of life. Now, with the fur trade dwindling, they find themselves guides for a wagon train—a group of emigrants leaving behind the comforts of the world they know for the Wild West. The problem is, they have to pass through hostile Dakota Indian territory to reach their destination.

The members of the wagon train, fresh faces in a wild land, are certain that all this talk about Indians is just stories—a way to keep a control over them. After all, they haven’t seen any sign of Indians … But Kit and Lige know what to look for, and they know they’re being watched.

When the Indians brutally attack, the stories become a frightening reality. The Dakota warriors tell the emigrants that they must turn around or face their wrath—they will not be allowed to pass through Dakota territory.

The emigrants have come too far to turn back, but they are not trained to fight—the women and children handily outnumbering the men in the group. Kit and Lige are the only ones who know how to survive out in the wild, and it is their duty to protect the wagon train against the Dakota men they still consider brothers.

Genres: Westerns

192 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2018

About the author

aka John Armour, Reg Batchelor, Kenneth Bedford, Frank Bosworth, Mark Carrel, Claude Cassady, Richard Clarke, Richard Dana, J F Drexler, Troy Howard, Jared Ingersol, John Kilgore, Hunter Liggett, J K Lucas, John Morgan (many more).

Lauran Bosworth Paine (born February 25, 1916 in Duluth, Minnesota – 2003 in California) was an American writer of Western fiction. Paine wrote over 900 books, including hundreds of Westerns as well as romance, science fiction, and mystery novels. He also wrote a number of non-fiction books on the Old West, military history, witchcraft, and other subjects.

His apprenticeship as a Western writer came about through the years he spent in the livestock trade, rodeos, and even motion pictures where he served as an extra because of his expert horsemanship.

Reviews

[Dianne McMahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great early Western rich with authenticity, great characters & plenty of Dakota Indians.
Not my usual read,but did enjoy it immensely !
Would recommend !

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

During the escalation of Indian hostilities, mountain man Kit Butler scouts for a wagon train. Having once lived among the Dakotas, he can no longer remain friends. His job now is to escort the party of emigrants across the sacred land of the tribes to Fort Collins. Paine writes an action-packed western sprinkled with romance. Adding to the interest of the story are the historical facts and perspectives. Paine knows his subject matter well.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought I didn’t like Westerns but this is more like poetry

[Doris Raines · Rating 5 out of 5]

I JUST LOVE MY SELF SOME GOOD OLD WESTERNS CUDDLE UP WITH SLIVER CUP TEA WITH MY FAVORITE BUTTER POPCORN 🍿

[Kellyt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good story. Set in the early western frontier after the decline of the fur trade. Some action, conflicting cultures, and romance. Would give it a 3.9 out of 5 if possible.