Colorado Parks & Wildlife Research Library

A collection of forty-five short stories by Louis L'Amour that are set in the American West. Here are timeless stories of danger and daring, wanderlust and heroism, Filled with ordinary men and women facing life-threatening challenges with courage, dignity and honor.

The Reed family struggles to survive the wagon train journey from Illinois to California as members of the ill-fated Donner Party.

"In 1846 the Reed and Donner families leave Illinois on a 2,000-mile journey to California in search of free land and a healthy climate. Thirteen-year-old Virginia Reed is thrilled to ride ahead of the wagons each day beside her adored father. But enthusiasm turns to alarm when her father and other party leaders make decisions that put the families dangerously behind schedule. Provisions dwindle. Hardships mount. Anger erupts. In a frantic effort...

In 1851 twelve-year-old Sarah is a free Black, happy living with her parents, grandparents, and brother on their own farm in Iowa; but her father has been bitten by the gold bug and wants to take the trail west to California, and after some argument it is decided that the the grandparents will stay on the farm, but the rest of the family will go; the journey will be difficult and dangerous, but if they survive extreme weather, difficult terrain, illness,...