A Face haunted Cameron — a woman's face. It was there in the white heart of the dying campfire; it hung in the shadows that hovered over the flickering light; it drifted in the darkness beyond. This hour, when the day had closed and the lonely desert night set in with its dead silence, was one in which Cameron's mind was thronged with memories of a time long past — of a home back in Peoria, of a woman he had wronged and lost, and loved too late. He was a prospector for gold, a hunter of solitude, a lover of the drear, rock-ribbed infinitude, because he wanted to be alone to remember. A sound disturbed Cameron's reflections. He bent his head listening. A soft wind fanned the paling embers, blew sparks and white ashes and thin smoke away into the enshrouding circle of blackness. His burro did not appear to be moving about. The quiet split to the cry of a coyote. It rose strange, wild, mournful — not the howl of a prowling upland beast baying the campfire or barking at a lonely prospector, but the wail of a wolf, full-voiced, crying out the meaning of the desert and the night. Hunger throbbed in it — hunger for a mate, for offspring, for life. When it ceased, the terrible desert silence smote Cameron, and the cry echoed in his soul. He and that wandering wolf were brothers. Then a sharp clink of metal on stone and soft pads of hoofs in sand prompted Cameron to reach for his gun, and to move out of the light of the waning campfire. He was somewhere along the wild border line between Sonora and Arizona; and the prospector who dared the heat and barrenness of that region risked other dangers sometimes as menacing. Figures darker than the gloom approached and took shape, and in the light turned out to be those of a white man and a heavily packed burro. “Hello there,” the man called, as he came to a halt and gazed about him. “I saw your fire. May I make camp here?” Cameron came forth out of the shadow and greeted his visitor, whom he took for a prospector like himself. Cameron resented the breaking of his lonely campfire vigil, but he respected the law of the desert. The stranger thanked him, and then slipped the pack from his burro. Then he rolled out his pack and began preparations for a meal. His movements were slow and methodical. Cameron watched him, still with resentment, yet with a curious and growing interest. The campfire burst into a bright blaze, and by its light Cameron saw a man whose gray hair somehow did not seem to make him old, and whose stooped shoulders did not detract from an impression of rugged strength. “Find any mineral?” asked Cameron, presently. His visitor looked up quickly, as if startled by the sound of a human voice. He replied, and then the two men talked a little. But the stranger evidently preferred silence. Cameron understood that. He laughed grimly and bent a keener gaze upon the furrowed, shadowy face. Another of those strange desert prospectors in whom there was some relentless driving power besides the lust for gold! Cameron felt that between this man and himself there was a subtle affinity, vague and undefined, perhaps born of the divination that here was a desert wanderer like himself, perhaps born of a deeper, an unintelligible relation having its roots back in the past. A long-forgotten sensation stirred in Cameron's breast, one so long forgotten that he could not recognize it. But it was akin to pain...FROM THEBOOKS

Western stories. In a rowdy Mexican town, Dick Gale helps an old friend save a beautiful Spanish girl from the ruthless bandit who had killed her father and sworn to take her honor. This western classic captures the grandeur of the true Old West as only Zane Grey can.

As outlaw Jake Leach lies dying in a deserted cave, he writes a desperate letter to his brother, Tom, a US Marshal. Jake has double-crossed his boss, the violent and vindictive Quirt Evans, stealing eighty thousand dollars worth of government-owned gold coins from his own outlaw gang in hopes of redemption. By the time Tom Leach receives Jakes letter, Jake is dead; however, the outlaw left clues that will lead Tom to the stashed gold coins. Jakes final request is for Tom to return the coins to their rightful owner. Maybe then his soul can rest in peace. Tom has his hands full, though, keeping the peace as greedy marauders threaten new settlers in untamed land. In order to discover Jakes lost gold, Tom must fight his way through outlaws on the wild frontier. As Jakes clues become more convoluted and Quirts gang moves closer, Tom is forced to forget his lawman ways and act the outlaw himself. Otherwise, hell end up dead like Jake, and his brothers last indiscretion will linger in eternity.

Rather than lose the favors of the beautiful Mercedes to the gringo Texas Ranger, the bandit Rojas vows to kill her. With the help of the Ranger's friend, Mercedes escapes into the desert -- but Rojas and his band of cutthroats are close behind.

On her six-week assignment in Morocco, Judy becomes fascinated with the ruined city of Bou Kairouan and decides to write about it for her magazine. The only one who can help her is Martin Dahl, but unfortunately, he is hostile towards Judy and far from pleasant. She finally convinces Martin to take her to the city, starting a series of thrilling events in the desert. Perhaps she can melt his heart still. The compelling tale from the 20th century is written by Pamela Kent, a pseudonym of the beloved romance writer Ida Pollock. A must-read for fans of literary romance and surprising twists of fate. Pamela Kent is a pseudonym of Ida Pollock (1908 – 2013), a highly successful British writer of over 125 romance novels translated into numerous languages and published across the world. Ida Pollock has sold millions of copies over her 90-year career. Pollock began writing when she was 10 years old. Ida has travelled widely, living in several different countries. She continues to be popular amongst both her devoted fan base and new readers alike. Pollock has been referred to as the "world's oldest novelist" who was still active at 105 and continued writing until her death. On the occasion of her 105th birthday, Pollock was appointed honorary vice-president of the Romantic Novelists' Association, having been one of its founding members. Ida Pollock wrote in a wide variety of pseudonyms: Joan M. Allen, Susan Barrie, Pamela Kent, Averil Ives, Anita Charles, Barbara Rowan, Jane Beaufort, Rose Burghley, Mary Whistler and Marguerite Bell.

When he travels to Mexico to prove himself to his father, Dick Gale becomes involved in his friend's plan to save a beautiful Spanish girl from a ruthless bandit and escape with her across the desert.

"No man has employed the Western story formula with better results." --The New York Times From the legendary writer of the west: two complete novels in one low-priced edition. Desert Gold While rescuing a lovely Spanish maiden from Mexican rebels, former Union soldier Dick Gale partners up with a pair of rough-hewn cowboys. The three men take refuge on the ranch of Al Belding, where Gale finds a new mission helping breed fine horses and carving a settlement out of the wild landscape. But angry, greedy men have their eyes on the rich ranchlands—and the beautiful women who live there. The Light of Western Stars Searching for her brother Al, Maddie Hammond gets off the transcontinental railroad in the middle of the night, in a New Mexico town full of drunken, dangerous men. A hard-bitten cowboy drags her before a priest and insists that they be married—until he hears her name. Al Hammond, a ranch foreman, holds the loyalties of many cowboys and ranchers, whom he defends from cruel lawmen and Mexican rebels alike. Maddie eagerly joins the struggle for freedom. Other Zane Grey doubles Wildfire and The Heritage of the Desert The Spirit of the Border and The Last Trail The Lone Star Ranger and The Mysterious Rider The Last of the Plainsmen and Last of the Great Scouts Riders of the Purple Sage and The Rainbow Trail Betty Zane and To the Last Man At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.