Bud Haddock's senses had a shell in the chamber with the hammer back. Somebody was back there. He could tell from the itch in his neck. This warning about trouble had never let him down. Having to be a man before his time on a ranch in 1850s Texas, Bud was traveling west to see the country his rambling father had described so often. He was now in Arizona and the going was tough. But not too tough for a young fellow whose instincts for avoiding trouble were tuned to perfection. Meanwhile, it doesn't take long to find out who is trailing him, and why. Bud Haddock is quickly forced into discoveries about himself that reveal depths of courage he never knew existed. Everything in his being now comes into play. He makes a new friend who helps him eliminate a ruthless man intent on becoming a land baron, falls in love for the first time with a beautiful rancher's daughter, and becomes part of a breathtaking scenario that reveals a startling fact about his father. Before long he becomes known as a man who avoids trouble at all costs but who cuts no slack if pressed to the wall. Which is often. * * * * * Tom Whatley is a minister, a former Infantry Officer with the U.S. Army, and an avid outdoorsman. He has traveled extensively throughout the United States and has a keen interest in the west and northwest. He lives in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. This is his first novel. He is also the author of "He Ain't Dead," "Ghost Runner," "Twice as Good," "The Gatekeeper," and "Fears No Man," all from Sunstone Press.