TWO ON THE TRAIL

As if taking a covered wagon across the country weren't enough trouble for two fourteen-year-olds, what with redskins and outlaws and the Donner Pass, Chub and Ricky find they've been tricked into transporting illegal firearms for resale to the Indians. The journey is mostly a matter of overtaking landmarks, the danger is disposed of by succoring enemies who providentially assist at the crucial moments. Set ostensibly in the 1870's, this is ubiquitous armchair pioneering with nary a cottonwood to fix the scene and no individuals to fill it.