Excitement and suspense abound in this recounting of a tale based on true adventure in the Oregon Territory. Set in the 1840's it revolves about Trask, an actual person, his trek by foot through the mountains to the rich coastal lands, his contact with hostile and friendly Indians, and his subtle negotiations for land rights. Trask's obligation to prove himself a man, his encounters with continual peril, and his profound impulse to explore and expand are treated with simplicity, against a background of pictorial majesty. Adventure enthusiasts will greet the author as a significant and welcome newcomer.