In 1869, shortly after the conclusion of the Civil War, and right after the completion of the continental railroad, a flood of young men left their homes. In contrast to the ‘49ers who flocked to California to get rich, these young men were just after adventure. This is the story of one such man. His story stands out because he was bucking the tide. He traveled east from his home in the Sierra Valley, high in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California to see what life was like in the "civilized" world of the east. In four short years his adventure changed him from a teenager to an accomplished Western cattleman. His story is one of adventure and romance revealed in this well researched historical novel.