Ronicky Doone

Bill Gregg rides into a frontier town in desperate need of a horse fast enough to beat a train to Stillwater, and his theft of Ronicky Doone's prized bay mare sparks a violent chase across open country and mountain shortcuts. But when Doone catches him, the clash reveals more than anger: Gregg is shot, then helped, and the two men discover an uneasy respect rooted in frontier honor. Soon the flashy, self-made gambler Ronicky—brightly dressed, quick-witted, and impossible to ignore—becomes a figure of fascination in Stillwater, where his charm masks a disciplined card player's nerve and judgment. As Ronicky probes the secrets around Bill Gregg, old blacksmith Jud Harding warns him that trust can be costly. Bill's story unfolds in fragments: lonely mining seasons, awkward correspondence lessons, and a tender, comic exchange with a woman who urged him to write and to know himself. That lost connection leads Ronicky into conflict with John Mark, whose power keeps Caroline Smith trapped in fear and uncertainty. With Ruth Tolliver's quiet support, Ronicky presses Caroline to think for herself, then steps into the night to expose the jealousy, deceit, and lingering love tying Caroline to Bill. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.