What happens when you kill the imbecile son of the richest man in Virginia in 1826? You get a trial with a crooked judge and a death sentence. Twenty year old Cole Randall finds himself in that position. He manages to escape, and heads west. He nearly dies of exposure, and after being rescued by a mountain man, he takes up the life in the Rocky Mountains. All the while, the dead man's father is in hot pursuit. If you like westerns based on the Indian nations, this is for you. Very detailed and historical, and a very interesting ending.