F or as long as he can remember, Dusty McFarland has wanted to become a Texas Ranger, to follow in the footsteps of his father, Ranger Captain Laughlin McFarland. Now that he's turned eighteen, Dusty achieves that goal and, with his mother's blessings, is sworn in as a ranger. His father reminds him that his duties are to love the great state of Texas and to protect her with his life. Dusty understands the dangers and knows that each gunfight could be his last.

From the moment Dusty receives his star, he and his father do their best to uphold the law by tracking criminals and bringing them to justice. Their adventures include finding Dusty's blood brother, Tony, and trying to clear him of rustling and murder charges. They meet up with T-Bone, a dimwitted giant of a man who is teamed with the ruthless Billy Driskell. They hunt now El Diablo, a psychotic loner who kills and rapes for pleasure.

The third novel in a trilogy celebrating the tradition and legacy of the Texas Rangers, " Ranger Winds: The Last Ride" shows how the Rangers lived a life with demands that only a few good men could meet.

The Crossing forms the second part of Cormac McCarthy's critically acclaimed Border Trilogy, a story that began with All the Pretty Horses and concludes with Cities of the Plain. Set on the south-western ranches in the years before the Second World War, Cormac McCarthy's The Crossing follows the fortunes of sixteen-year-old Billy Parham and his younger brother Boyd. Fascinated by an elusive wolf that has been marauding his family's property, Billy captures the animal - but rather than kill it, sets out impulsively for the mountains of Mexico to return it to where it came from. When Billy comes back to his own home he finds himself and his world irrevocably changed. His loss of innocence has come at a price, and once again the border beckons with its desolate beauty and cruel promise. 'The Crossing is like a river in full spate: beautiful and dangerous' The Times This edition is part of the Picador Collection, a series of the best in contemporary literature, inaugurated in Picador's 50th Anniversary year.

The Mark of Zorro (1924) is a novel by Johnston McCulley. Originally published as The Curse of Capistrano (1919), McCulley's novel was rereleased to capitalize on the success of the 1920 silent film of the same name starring Douglas Fairbanks. Beloved by generations of readers and moviegoers alike, Zorro is recognized as a symbol of justice and rebellion throughout the world. "Outside the wind shrieked and the rain dashed against the ground in a solid sheet. It was a typical February storm for southern California. At the missions the frailes had cared for the stock and had closed the buildings for the night. At every great hacienda big fires were burning in the houses. The timid natives kept to their little adobe huts, glad for shelter." While the rich live in comfort, warm and safe from the wind and driving rain, the poor Californian people hide in their makeshift homes, fearful not just of the weather, but of the governor and his vicious soldiers. Oppressed for so long, they have nearly given up hope when a masked man arrives, a swordsman by the name of Zorro. As news of his actions spreads, revealing his knack for stealing from the rich in order to give the poor their due, the governor sends his most ruthless officer to put a stop to the vigilante, once and for all. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Johnston McCulley's The Mark of Zorro is a classic of American pulp fiction reimagined for modern readers.

Peering at a small band of Indians who depart with their wounded and dead companions, Clay moves cautiously to the crest of a hill. His intervention has sent the Indians racing for safety, but the danger is not over. He sees an overturned wagon resting on its stays, half in and half out of a streambed. Beneath it lay two terrified youths, their eyes wide, their mouths unwilling or unable to speak. One is Roberta, a teenage girl, and one Bobby, her little brother. Little does Clay know that the three of them will set out on a fighting flight, pursued by outlaws who would see them dead.

The Tenth Horse is the story of cavalry officer Clay Jordan and his beautiful wife Kathleen, who have been separated during the Civil War but are reunited afterward. Clay accepts an appointment to the newly formed all black Tenth Cavalry Regiment. They join the regiment in Kansas where Clay is given command of B Troop and starts training the raw recruits. The regiment is assigned the task of controlling the Kiowa and Comanche Indians recently forced onto a reservation in Indian Territory. The Tenth has to overcome many obstacles, including racism, but it earns the respect of the Indians, who call them buffalo soldiers. Kathleen, who originally had misgivings about being an Army wife, becomes the nurse to the troopers and is so revered by them that they will go to great lengths to protect her. The Tenth gets involved in the bloody situation in which Kiowa and Comanche raiders from the reservation are raping and plundering the Texas frontier and are retreating to the protection of the reservation. General William T. Sherman comes to the frontier to find a solution to the problem, and with the help of the Tenth, he does so. In the end the Tenth Horse becomes a proud regiment, and Clay and Kathleen play an important role.

The Life and Adventures of Joaquin Murieta (1854) is a novel by John Rollin Ridge. Published under his birth name Yellow Bird, from Cheesquatalawny in Cherokee, The Life and Adventures of Joaquin Murieta was the first novel from a Native American author. Despite its popular success worldwide-the novel was translated into French and Spanish -Ridge's work was a financial failure due to bootleg copies and widespread plagiarism. Recognized today as a groundbreaking work of nineteenth century fiction, The Life and Adventures of Joaquin Murieta is a powerful novel that investigates American racism, illustrates the struggle for financial independence among marginalized communities, and dramatizes the lives of outlaws seeking fame, fortune, and vigilante justice. Born in Mexico, Joaquin Murieta came to California in search of gold. Despite his belief in the American Dream, he soon faces violence and racism from white settlers who see his success as a miner as a personal affront. When his wife is raped by a mob of white men and after Joaquin is beaten by a group of horse thieves, he loses all hope of living alongside Americans and turns to a life of vigilantism. Joined by a posse of similarly enraged Mexican-American men, Joaquin becomes a fearsome bandit with a reputation for brutality and stealth. Based on the life of Joaquin Murrieta Carrillo, also known as The Robin Hood of the West, The Life and Adventures of Joaquin Murieta would serve as inspiration for Johnston McCulley's beloved pulp novel hero Zorro. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of John Rollin Ridge's The Life and Adventures of Joaquin Murieta is a classic work of Native American literature reimagined for modern readers.

After marrying his childhood sweetheart, Virgil John Jordan is pulled into the Civil War as a captain in the Confederate Army. He is a dedicated and brave soldier-until news reaches him that his family, including his new wife, has been murdered by marauding Blue Coats. Rage takes over; as Virgil becomes a murderer, the man he once was disappears.

He becomes "The Rider," a vengeful, ghostly foe. Justice is decided by his hand, and he kills those he believes deserve to die. After killing four men who were abusing a whore, the Rider survives a terrible blizzard, only to end up in a town called Witchita. With his only companion-his horse, Gabriel-the Rider finds himself in a very strange place.

The "witch" in Witchita refers to Mesmerala, a powerful sorceress who runs things with the power of magic. It's not magic that breaks through the Rider's heart of steel, though; it's a gun-toting honey named Pistol Ann. Rider comes to realize he's in Witchita for a reason. His bloodlust can serve a purpose, but will he ever find his way home again?

After a rough winter spent alone, Ursula Nordegren realizes she must overcome her fears of the outside world and begins a trek down Hope Mountain. Along the way she finds a badly wounded stranger and realizes God may have used her decision to leave as a way of saving the man. Wax Mosby was climbing Hope Mountain in part to atone for his terrible choices. He was hired to drive out the Warden family and now knows he was duped. But when he's wounded during the climb, the last person he expects to rescue him is a beautiful blond woman with the voice of an angel. As both Ursula and Wax weigh the costs of living new lives, the two find an unlikely bond. And they're joined by Ursula's sisters and the Warden family as the final showdown over the family ranch looms with the coming of spring.

Francis Lynde (1856-1930) wrote fiction set in the Carolinas concerned with mining and western expansion.