Wilderness 3: SAVAGE RENDEZVOUS

 

In 1828, the Rocky Mountains were an immense, unsettled region through which few white men dared to travel. Only courageous mountain men like Nathaniel King were willing to risk the unknown dangers for the freedom the wilderness offered. But while attending a rendezvous of trappers and fur traders, King's freedom was threatened when he was accused of murdering several men for their money. With the help of his friend Shakespeare McNair, Nathaniel had to prove his innocence. For he had not cast off the fetters of society to spend the rest of his life behind bars.

The story opens by finding our wayward travelers on the way to the annual mountain man rendezvous. As they take a breather for the evening, Nate fights and kills his second grizzly bear. He finds that this only adds fuel to the fire of his reputation. Spending the night in the woods, there's a creepy scene where the forest surrounding them goes eerily quiet. It's a serene passage, but one that packs a heavy punch. Was it another predator hiding in the woods? David Robbins won't reveal the origin of the silence until much later in the novel. He allows the chapter to end on a somber note, driving us on deeper into the story.

When Nate, Winona, and Shakespeare finally reach the rendezvous, Robbins gives us another taste of his fascinating historical lessons. We learn about the fur companies as they price gouge the mountaineers. It makes for entertaining reading. Another first at the rendezvous is that Nate makes an enemy. When they initially arrive, a mountain man leers seductively at Winona. Nate thrashes him, learning quickly that he's going to have to grow eyes in the back of his head if he's to survive the meeting. We're also introduced to Crazy George, who tells our threesome about the trio of murders that have plagued the land. He tells Shakespeare that they're to camp in the spot of one of the grisly murders. None too interested in the idea, they still settle down for the evening.

After a fistfight with a drunken Englishman, which Nate wins, our hero soon becomes embroiled in the grisly murders which are plaguing the rendezvous. Following the death of three more trappers, Nate is fingered as the guilty party, upon which he soon exonerates himself. But that's not all. The next day, as they prepare for a quiet outing, Nate and Shakespeare find themselves in a search party hunting for a trapper that has gone missing. It's here that David Robbins kicks the story into overdrive. A fierce encounter with the Blood tribe, one of the few friends that the Blackfoot warriors have, attacks them. Nate is forced to fight for his life and as is the norm with this series, it's a page-turning affair. You'll be reading at a breakneck pace to find out what happens next in the tale.

And what does happen next? Nate and Shakespeare return to camp to find that Winona has been taken prisoner by a man known as the Giant, or the Bad One as the Shoshones refer to him. It's here that you can't trust every character in the novel. A vicious sideswipe hits the two men as they venture out into the night to save Nate's wife. They do rescue her. It's not much of a spoiler to say otherwise as the main thrust of the final few chapters is in the sweeping action which propels the reader on. The pages will become a blur as you press on deeper into the story, finding that Nate and Shakespeare are outnumbered in their quest. It makes for compelling reading and a satisfying finale to the entire affair.

Do yourself a favor and visit the Savage Rendezvous. You'll be glad that you did.