Mariana's Knight

A father and son vanish. A legend is born.

An eight-year-old boy manages to survive the murder of his father in the winter desert and under the mentorship of an Apache scout and curmudgeon rancher returns to extract revenge.

On February 1, 1896, Albert Fountain—prominent attorney, lawmaker, and fearless militia leader—set out across the desolate Tularosa Basin with his eight-year-old son, Henry. Despite threats against his life, Albert was determined to see justice served, returning home after securing indictments against powerful cattle thieves. His wife, Mariana, believing no one would harm a man traveling with a child, had urged him to take Henry along. Before they departed, she entrusted Henry with a small ivory horsehead fob—a symbol of his promise to protect his father.

They never made it home.

Their wagon was found abandoned in the vast desert, the horses missing, and a patch of blood-soaked sand glistening in the sun. Though their bodies were never recovered, whispers of vengeance and survival grew into legend—some say Henry lived to avenge his father’s murder. Others claim the truth was swallowed by the shifting desert winds.

Rich in historical detail, Mariana’s Knight brings to life a true unsolved mystery of the American Southwest—a tale of tragedy, resilience, and the undying bond between a mother and her son.