robert eugene miller

Against the arduous back-drop of the 1880's New Mexico Territory comes the epic tale of friendship and loyalty. Abel Shipstead is a gentle and easy-going man who has built a small ranch tucked into a remote valley which rests on the foot of a mountain and is six miles from the town of Copperville. He dreams of success so that he may ask for the hand of the beautiful and spirited Kathleen McGregor. Kathleen is the daughter of the couple who own the towns general store. Abel leads a simple life, one that is free of entanglements that could threaten his plans for the future. Then one stormy night his dog throws a fit at some commotion outside and when Abel investigates he finds a gun-shot man who has fallen from his horse and is laying on the ground and clinging to life. Abel takes him inside and nurses him back to health. By the time the stranger awakens it is apparent that he is a gunfighter. The man is wary and tight-lipped about his past and it is some time later that he finally utters his name. Caine. Caine is a name that is whispered throughout the southwest and is known to be a man not to be trifled with. Though the two men are so different, a strong friendship begins to grow. Caine has never had a real friend before and soon becomes protective of Abel and watches over him. Abel sees a lot of goodness in Caine and seeks to develop it in his friend. When the town sheriff is murdered the job falls upon Abel and he finds himself in all kinds of trouble with evil railroad barons and blood-thirsty outlaw gangs. Caine is there to watch his back but the greatest threat is unexpected and by far the worst. Fate rears its ugly head when Kathleen and Caine meet in a chance encounter and fall in love. Amidst heart-stopping gunfights, gut-wrenching circumstances, and impossible odds, the two friends battle side by side until the final climax is reached. Caine must then choose between the only love of his life and his great friendship with Abel that he cherishes.