Death of a Cattle King — Wayne D. Overholser

It has been eight years since Sam Holt brought his family from the Willamette Valley overland to eastern Oregon, found Paradise Valley, and began what he called Rainbow Ranch. His wife Helen, son Bruce, and daughter Mary had made the trip with him, as well as Morgan Drew, the son of Sam s best friend, the banker Paul Drew, who before he died had asked Sam to look after his son. Morgan Drew had his father s money and wanted no part of Rainbow Ranch. Instead he took Ben Louderman as his associate and created the Big D Ranch. It was aptly named. In those eight years the Big D has grown until now it is the second largest ranch in the area. The JB Ranch is the largest, owned by Jason Bell.

Morgan Drew wants the JB Ranch and he is convinced that the best way to get it is to marry Karen Bell, a marriage that Jason also wants his daughter to make. That is before Bell learns that Karen and Bruce Holt are in love and intend to marry. Mary Holt believes that Morgan Drew is in love with her and she has come to hate Bruce because of his opposition to the man. Morgan tells Sam Holt that either he sells out Rainbow Ranch to him, or Jason Bell will run him off. And that is where matters stand before the Paiutes under their chief Egan go to war against all the ranchers. It is a war that will change everything, beginning with Jason and Karen Bell being chased from their home and forced to seek a safe haven at Rainbow Ranch.