North to the Rails

Name: North to the Rails
Rating: 2.5 (5 reviews)

by Louis L’Amour Book 8 in the Talon and Chantry series.

First published 1971

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2.5(5)

Tom Chantry joins cattleman French Williams on a drive north toward Dodge during the great cattle-drive era. Chantry is reluctant to carry a gun and would prefer to rely on judgment rather than violence, but storms, treachery and attacks along the trail repeatedly force the outfit into situations where hesitation can endanger both the herd and the men responsible for it.

The drive becomes a test of whether Chantry's restraint can survive a country in which cattle, wages and survival may depend on armed decisions made far from any court or sheriff. The novel follows the practical work of moving a herd across long distances while showing how quickly an economic venture can turn into a struggle over loyalty and command.