When Lou Spencer and Dillard Sumner arrive in Independence, Missouri with 1000's of Longhorn cattle and discover another herd beat them and thus there is no one to sell them to, they are offered the chance to sell the cattle to the settlers of a huge wagon train heading to Oregon. The caveat is they must accompany the settlers and manage the cattle.

With little choice plus the added attraction of many young women in the settler families, the cowboys decide to go to Oregon too. Soon they face division in the settler camp, outlaws seeking to steal the settlers gold and the cattle herd plus attacks by angry Mormons who fear the huge influx of non Mormon settlers. Interestingly there is no Indian trouble on this trip.

The author supplied a map of the route that helps the reader see where in the west the settlers are facing their many trials. Jim Bridger makes an appearance in the narrative. Following the advice of Louis L'Amour, there is action on the first page of the novel to hook the reader and it rarely lets up. The reader also learns a great deal about life in a wagon train heading west which is reminiscent of the novel, The Way West by A.B. Gutherie, Jr. The train in this novel is one of the first on this route so they were really breaking the trail for those who followed. A great read. ( )