Johannes Verne is a young orphan raised in part by the Indians of the desert. He grows to be a rugged adventurer, a man bold enough to stake a claim in early-day Los Angeles.

The lifelong friendship between Ben Cowan and Bijah Catlow is put to the test when Ben, having grown up to be a U.S. Marshal, is forced to apprehend Bijah who has run afoul of a band of greedy ranchers.

"Louis L'Amour's long-lost first novel, faithfully completed by his son, takes readers on a voyage into danger and violence on the high seas. Fate is a ship. As the shadows of World War II gather, the SS Lichenfield is westbound across the Pacific carrying eighty thousand barrels of highly explosive naphtha. The cargo alone makes the journey perilous, with the entire crew aware that one careless moment could lead to disaster. But yet another sort...