The Way Home — R. William Rogers

Driving a herd of three-hundred head of ornery, opinionated cattle, from Dodge City, Kansas, to a fella's homestead in the Cuchara Valley of southeastern Colorado, isn't an easy matter by any man's measure. Then add to that the fact that three of the eight drover/owners are women and you have a group of folks who are intent on getting home by any means necessary.With their chosen route being the Mountain Route of the Santa Fe Trail, nothing is predictable, and harsh weather, sleepless nights, a couple of fellas bent on getting revenge on the drovers for choosing to take in and protect a mother and her daughter-who it was felt had rightfully ended the days of a lowlife scumbag-and you have the makings of a trail drive that is both demanding and nerve-wracking as the members of the outfit do their darndest to get home safely while being forced to watch their backtrail nearly the entire way.