“Fatal and terrible forever to Joan would be the significance of gold. Did any woman in the world or any man know the meaning of gold as well as she knew it?”

Joan Randall, whip-smart and spirited, has taken off into the vast wilderness after her would-be fiancé, Jim Cleve. The well-off young woman must brave the harsh landscape to find him, but Jim is not the only man out there in the open country: Jack Kells and his fearsome band of outlaws known as the Border Legion roam the land causing trouble. When Joan and Jack meet, the dangerous man is instantly taken with her and offers her protection. Now, as a captive and almost-member of this crew, Joan must navigate the unforgiving terrain and the uncertain politics of this gang of criminals … and her own increasingly complicated feelings.

In this tale of redemption, adventure, and love, master of the Western, Zane Grey, explores both the natural beauty of the American frontier and the complex psychology of Joan, Jack, and the other minds living and fighting for survival—and gold—in the Southwestern desert.