The Austin Chronicles, Book 2: The Abilene Trail

The Austin Chronicles, Book 2: The Abilene Trail (Approximately 185 pages and 73,880 words) is the second in a series of novels about the Austin family and how they coped with the unique challenges of living in the West just after the end of America's Civil War in 1865. The main characters in this book are young Daniel Austin, his younger brother David and his grouchy but tough-as-steel uncle named Frank Austin. This book marks the start of their adventure traveling from Arkansas west to Oregon.

While crossing the Indian Territory in present-day Oklahoma, the trio is robbed by a Frenchman and his men. The leader, "Father" Marius Thibodaux, quotes the Bible while robbing them. The thieves take their money, horses and clothes and leave them to die on the merciless prairie under a scorching sky. They barely survive the ordeal. And, by necessity, they hire on as drovers on a cattle drive to Abilene. The drive is plagued by bad weather, rustlers, nesters, quicksand, a raging river and the deaths of four good cowmen.

They finally arrive at the new cattle shipping yards beside a railroad in Abilene, Texas. The three, like the other trail hands, have pockets full of money. So they go to town and by morning, Daniel has lost his virginity and ol' Frank has lost all of the Austin family money.

Then young David spots the three horses they had stolen from them by the Frenchman, "Father" Marius Thibodaux. And in an attempt to recover their stolen horses and money, they wind up getting into a fight at a cafe with the men who have the horses. And the Austins are thrown in jail and beaten.

They manage to escape from jail and ride miles to the east and south, hoping to elude the dishonest sheriff and his posse. Late that night they spot a fancy house and barns, so they sneak up to check it out before asking for a place to spend the night. But they are discovered, only to find out that the Frenchman and his gang have joined up with the owner of this ranch. And the situation results in a knife fight to the death between Daniel and the much larger "Father" Marius Thibodaux.