Wild Country

Pseudonymous Killdeer launches his Mountain Majesty series with a lightweight but enjoyable tale of a young man setting out into the wilderness of early 19th-century America. After Cleve Bennett finally turns on his brutal father, he flees the family farm and hitches up with fur trappers headed for the Rockies. But the journey does not go smoothly: Assiniboine Indians steal their horses, and after settling into a small fort to await the horses' recovery the trappers are attacked by Arikara Indians, and Cleve is taken prisoner. With the help of his loyal dog he escapes, only to fall into the hands of the Cheyenne. Eventually earning a place in the tribe, he catches the eye of Second Son, a young woman-warrior. Respecting her value as a warrior, Second Son's tribe pretends that she is a man--an awkward fiction now that she wants to marry. Although this tale is presented as an adventure for men, women who enjoy frontier novels shouldn't overlook it. Killdeer draws female characters as individuals possessing strength and ability, and the unorthodox courtship of Cleve and Second Son is a treat. (Apr.)