Wilderness 6: BLACK POWDER JUSTICE

 

In 1828, few white men dared to venture into the immense, unsettled region west of the Mississippi. And of those who did, only courageous men like Nathaniel King had the strength and skills to survive the harsh, frozen wilderness. But when three vicious trappers ambushed him and kidnapped his pregnant wife, Winona, King faced the greatest challenge of his life. For if Nate did not rescue Winona and their unborn child, the life he had worked so hard to build would be worthless.

The story opens with Nate bringing down a bison. Stripping the buffalo of its meat, he's soon attacked by a pack of wolves. Fending them off, but ending up seriously wounded, Nate passes out in the snow. When he next awakens, he finds himself back in his own cabin. It would appear that his pregnant wife Winona has dragged him there and nursed him back to health. As she feeds him, Winona asks who Adeline might be. Nate is initially shocked to hear the name, but reveals that he once considered marrying the woman. Not wishing to hurt Winona's feelings, he vows to her his undying love. And then they hear a gunshot. Initially attributing it to nearby Utes, Nate says that he's going to check the horses. His wife tells him to stay in bed, but relents when he's adamant. The two of them venture out into the blizzard.

Satisfied with their animals, the two of them return to the cabin. But once they do, they see that the front door is open. Inspecting, Nate discovers an old man inside eating their stew. Interrupting him, the man introduces himself as Isaac Kennedy. He's been separated from his two friends in the storm. Nate hears his tale of woe and allows him to stay, watching as Kennedy eats more stew. Before long, they are joined by the man's compatriots. Newton and Lambert appear to be nasty sorts. They hold Nate hostage at the end of a gun as Winona is forced to feed them. Biding his time, Nate waits until an opportune moment to launch an attack. Outnumbered, he knows his chances of survival are slim, but he takes the risk, anyway. Receiving a gunshot wound to the head for his efforts, Nate is thrust down into unconsciousness as the three men leave with Winona and Nate's guns.

Regaining his senses, Nate realizes that he only has a knife and the tomahawk to hunt the men. They have also stolen all of his horses. He eats some buffalo stew to boost his energy, and then takes off into the snow on his hunt. He soon comes across a Ute warrior. Taking the man's horse, he vows to return it at a later date. The Ute believes him once he realizes he's dealing with Grizzly Killer, and Nate takes off across the great plains to find his wife. In the meantime, the three men are making due on their bid to reach the Ute chief Two Owls. David Robbins has concocted the most vile villains of the series thus far in Lambert and Newton, and I can imagine him chuckling as he writes about their nefarious manners.

As Nate makes his way slowly across the snowy grounds, Newton instructs Lambert to go back and make sure that the mountain man was finished off. Hearing Winona relate tales about her husband being the great Grizzly Killer mildly disturbs him. Lambert does as instructed, but is killed by Nate. Now armed with the man's guns, Nate continues on his journey. Meanwhile, Newton kills a panther that is stalking around their camp. Kennedy, fearful that the man might harm Winona, asks Newton to load his rifle for him. As he does so, Kennedy smashes him in the head with a large stick. And to compound matters, he shoots Newton in the face. Now with Winona as his prisoner, Kennedy is prepared to deal with Two Owls on his own. He can already count the thirty thousand dollars which might soon line his pockets, and he prods the Shoshone woman onward at gunpoint.

The finale of the tale, like previous installments, arrives with a breakneck pace. Nate is finally reunited with Winona, and it's here that David Robbins again shines. The resiliency shown by both man and woman to be together again tears through the pages like a panther protecting its young as they face overwhelming odds, and the reader is rewarded by the two of them. The author imbues the story with such wandering love that the reader is more than happy upon their reunion. It left me with a smile on my face. And an urgency to get to the next volume of the series. In conclusion, Black Powder Justice is a step above the last title. It packs plenty of action and romance and will satisfy any fan of the series. Easily recommended.