From bestselling author Ralph Compton—the bold saga of a trail-blazing cattle drive in the blistering heat of the California gold rush. The only riches Texans had left after the Civil War were five million maverick longhorns and the brains and brawn to drive them north to where the money was. But it all took a wild and dangerous turn on the California Trail, a passage overrun with dreamers, schemers, and gold... Gold fever has hit California, and suddenly the land is full of hungry pioneers. For Texas brothers Gil and Van Austin, it means a chance to sell their well-grazed longhorns after years of hard ranching and a death-defying cattle drive up through Mexico. The only thing that stands between them and California is a scorching desert, swollen rivers, a barrage of Indian attacks, and a passel of outlaws. And while the Texans are ready and willing to take it all on, there’s one thing they’re not prepared for: the ultimate act of treachery, greed, and back-stabbing deceit. . .

Diary traces the events and route of a cattle drive of the herd of James G. Bell from June in San Antonio, Texas, to November in San Diego, California.