The discovery of gold in California launched a stampede of fortune-seekers across the continent in search of wealth. Willing to face any hardship - outlaws, hostile Indians, bad weather, thirst, starvation, and the horrors of disease - they battled fiercely to overcome these challenges and seize their destiny. But sometimes the treasures they found were not the ones they were expecting . . . THE FORTY-NINERS is the fifth novel in the exciting West of the Big River series from the Western Fictioneers. Charlie Steel's story of courage, romance, and danger is based on historical incidents and vividly illustrates a compelling chapter in American history, recreating a lawless era that exemplifies both the best and the worst in a vital young nation