The first book in an exciting adventure series "The Temple Buck Quartet" that chronicles the rise and fall of the American Rocky Mountain fur trade. This volume is a coming-of-age story set in the first two years of the fur trade, 1822-24.Temple Buck is a young man whose rollicking tale begins with growing up in the Ohio wilderness before he is kidnapped by an evil keelboat captain. After his rescue by a beautiful St. Louis madam, he finally enlists in the first expedition up the Missouri River to the beaver-rich Rockies for a wealth of adventure and new experiences. This painstakingly researched tale blends historical and fictional characters into a colorful tapestry of actual events spiced with bloody battles, Indian customs, homespun humor, and earthy romance.