First Mountain Man Series

They called him . . . Preacher. He came west to the Rockies as a young runaway and grew into a legend among the already legendary frontier mountain men. They called him Preacher-a name that would become a monument to all who sought adventure in the savage wilderness of America's untamed west. The only man with the skills to lead a wagon train on the last leg of the rugged Oregon trail, Preacher knows they're headed into trouble. It's hard enough for a hundred greenhorns to survive the wilds of the northwest; being pursued by thieving renegade outlaws and Indians with a thirst for gold-and blood-makes it damn near impossible. Somehow, Preacher has to get these pilgrims through safely-if he doesn't want to end up buried along the trail with the rest of them . . .

This second book in William W. Johnstone's classic First Mountain Man series finds Preacher leading a wagon train of settlers into the Rockies-and through dangerous territory. Trapped on the Continental Divide by a blinding snowstorm, Preacher must fend off the gunfire of the wicked Pardee gang, and a band of marauding Utes.

For the legendary mountain man Preacher, times are lean. Trapping is a thing of the past. Only a handful of men cling to the old ways, trading pelts to a market with little demand. Thus it is that Preacher, along with his old friends Three Sleeps Norris and Antoine Revier, grudgingly accepts a commission from the War Department to act as trail guide and scout for a regiment of Dragoons. Little do they know that in the Wyoming wild, Blackfoot, Sioux, Cheyenne, Arapaho and Kiowa warriors have joined forces to prepare for battle, their bloodlust stirred by a legendary Blackfoot Messiah promising victory in a war that will forever rid the plains of the white man. With the spirited Dragoon squadron for cover, Preacher will forge up the blood-drenched Sante Fe trail. But the only way to win this war is to stop the hell-raising Messiah whose godforsaken message is leading to the ultimate showdown: the Battle for Fort Washington.

During a trip back east for a family reunion, Preacher learns that even the civilized midwest can attract a motherlode of trouble...especially when a gang of local bully boys decide to pick a fight. Now wealthy landowner Elam Parks lies dead - and there's a $5,000 reward on the head of the man accused: the first mountain man. The fortune in blood money has dispatched a small army of bounty hunters after Preacher. Now, back in his once-peaceful homestead in the High Lonesome, as he sights down the barrel of his '33 Hall North breechloader, Preacher is ready for target practice. And he can't think of a more scenic place to pick off the bloodthirsty manhunters, one by one...

One Man And . . . No one remembered when he'd come to the mountains-it seemed that Preacher had always been there. He'd seen a great deal in the unmapped mountains and forests of the grand North American frontier. In fact, he'd just told a friend that he wasn't surprosed by anything anymore. But Preacher hadn't seen Nova Roma yet . . . . . . A Deadly Dream of Glory Suddenly, Preacher is faced with the strangest, most dangerous army the High Lonesome has ever seen. It's leader is a blood-mad fanatic right out of the ancient history books. All Preacher's got on his side are his brother mountain men: tough as hardtack good old boys like Philadelphia Braddock and Frenchie Dupree; the Arapaho warrior Bold Pony; and his surefire Walker Colt . . .

The Price of Gold A wagon train winding through the remote reaches of the Rocky Mountain high country can attract plenty of scavengers-some of them human-like Vic Bedell and his gang of cutthroats. All he wants is the women, who can be traded for gold mine supplies . . . or used for whatever else he has in mind. But he didn't count on Preacher leading that train. The Color of Blood Bedell's first mistake is leaving the First Mountain Man for dead. His second mistake is underestimating Preacher's strength . . . and cunning. And Preacher needs all he can get to lead a hundred and fifty helpless ladies out of captivity . . . through fifteen hundred miles of unforgiving territory filled with hostile Indians-and the deadliest threat of all: Bedell and his wild avengers . . .

On nothing more than a lark, he leaves his family and begins a journey from Ohio westward. Along the way, he runs up against badlands and bad men, loses his freedom, gains his freedom and learns the first rule of the frontier: do whatever it takes to survive. With ruthless enemies after him—both white men and Indians—he'll head for a place as brutal as it is beautiful—the wilderness of the Rocky Mountains. Two years later, he will come back down from the mountaintop with new skills and a new future as one of the most feared and admired men of his time...a man called Preacher. Mountain man Preacher's plans to attend the annual rendezvous are changed when he agrees to lead a train of sixty wagons on the last leg of the rugged trail to Oregon, confronting scheming outlaws and hostile Native Americans along the way.

A Friendly Place . . . During a trip back east for a family reunion, Preacher learns that even the civilized midwest can attract a motherlode of trouble . . . especially when a gang of local bully boys decides to pick a fight. Now, wealthy landowner Elam Parks lies dead-and there's a $5,000 reward on the head of the man accused: the first mountain man. . . . To Die The fortune in blood money has dispatched a small army of bounty hunters after Preacher. Now, back in his once-peaceful homestead in the High Lonesome, as he sights down the barrel of his '33 Hall North breechloader, Preacher is ready for target practice. And he can't think of a more scenic place to pick off the bloodthirsty manhunters, one by one . . .

When the mountain man Preacher chances upon a new settlement just as the notorious Pardee brothers are about to attack it, a chain of events unfolds that puts the mountain man smack in the middle of a nefarious plot fashioned by human vultures who prey on innocent pilgrims – a plot Preacher will risk his life to destroy. Before the dust settles, he'll take on an ever-widening circle of villains, including Pawnees, Blackfoot, Red Hand's band of renegade braves and a hand-picked team of assassins bent on his demise.

Preacher, against his better judgment, agrees to lead a wagon train of women across the West. He hires a pack of mountain men to assist him, but he gets more than he bargained for when a gang of cutthroats follows the train with murder, rape and slave trafficking in mind. Led by the nefarious Easterner Victor Bedell, the outlaws will accomplish what few have done before: they will get a bullet into Preacher. But they'll make a fatal mistake. They'll leave him for dead. Soon the mountains will echo with avenging gunfire.

No one remembered when he'd come to the mountains–it seemed like Preacher had always been there. He'd seen a world of wonders in the unmapped mountains and forests of the vast North American frontier. In fact, he figured he wouldn't be surprised by anything anymore. But that was before Preacher traveled into the Ferris Range of Wyoming and discovered the city of Nova Roma… Nova Roma's leader, Marcus Quintus Americus, is a blood-mad fanatic right out of the ancient history books. And the troops he commands–one thousand strong--is the strangest and most dangerous band of men the High Lonesome has ever seen. Before the dust settles, Preacher and his ragtag army of mountain men and Indians will have to fight the mighty legionnaires on the fields of war–and do battle with gladiators in the blood-drenched coliseum.

Graphic Audio proudly presents the saga that starts it all – the epic adventure that reveals the roots of Preacher. Before the legend of Preacher there was the man and before the man there was the boy. In 1812, twelve year old Art is a boy filled with wanderlust and raw courage. He runs away from home to begin a journey from Ohio westward. Along the way, he'll run up against badlands and bad men. He'll lose his freedom, gain his freedom, fight in the bloody Battle of New Orleans and learn the first rule of the frontier: do whatever it takes to survive. With ruthless enemies after him—both white men and Indians—Art will head for a place as brutal as it is beautiful—the wilderness of the Rocky Mountains. The trail he rides will transform the boy into one of the most feared and admired men of his time...a man called Preacher.

Ten years ago, the legendary mountain man Preacher taught a violent lesson to eastern bad man Ezra Pease when he ran the outlaw out of town. But Pease and his trail-scum are back–shooting up the Big Empty to nail Preacher's hide to a tree. Preacher's riding to teach Pease one final deadly lesson. But he may be too late–because Pease's vicious dealings have fired up an all-out Indian War. Now, with hard-riding death on both sides, Preacher, along with his old friends Beartooth, Dupre and Nighthawk, are heading straight into lead-flying scalp-smashing hell!

In the seventh book in his bestselling Preacher series, William W. Johnstone gives his millions of avid fans exactly the kind of gritty, action-packed Western novel they look for from this prolific and hugely popular writer. "A Messiah Shall Lead Them . . . " In the Wyoming wild, Blackfoot warriors prepare for battle, their bloodlust stirred by a legendary prophet promising victory in a war that will forever rid the plains of the white man. To legendary mountain man Preacher, it isn't a promise-it's a threat. But being out-numbered in a savage frontier means justice will be as hard-earned and uncertain as . . . survival." . . . To An Early Grave." With a loyal Cheyenne as his guide, and a spirited Dragoon squadron for cover, Preacher forges up the treacherous Sante Fe trail. But the only way to win this war is to unmask the hell-raising Messiah whose godforsaken message is leading a desperate people into certain massacre . . .

He will Become a Legend . . . Before the legend of Preacher there was a man, and before the man there was a boy. In this thrilling new novel, William W. Johnstone tells the story of a young man filled with wanderlust and raw courage-who will someday become a hero. . . . If He Survives On nothing more than a lark, he leaves his family and begins a journey from Ohio westward. Along the way, he runs up against badlands and bad men, loses his freedom, gains his freedom, and learns the first rule of the frontier: do whatever it takes to survive. Preacher With ruthless enemies after him-both white men and Indians-he'll head for a place as brutal as it is beautiful-the wilderness of the Rocky Mountains. Two years later, he will come back down from the mountaintop with new skills, and a new future as one of the most feared and admired men of his time . . . a man called Preacher.

Blood in the Snow Mountain men are skilled at survival. Preacher, the greatest of all those warriors of the forest, will kill anything-beast or man-that threatens his survival. Ten years ago, he taught this violent lesson to gun-crazed Ezra Pease when he ran the outlaw out of town. But Pease and his trail-scum gang are back-shooting up trouble and crossing the Big Empty to nail Preacher's hide to a tree. So Preacher's riding out to teach Pease one final lesson. But it could be too late because Pease's vicious dealings have fired up an all-out Indian war. Now, with hard-riding death on both sides, Preacher and some old friends called Beartooth, Dupre, and Nighthawk are heading straight into lead-flying, scalp-slashing hell . . .

In the land of towering mountains and howling winds, the young man named Preacher has found a home. In the wilds, he has learned the rules of survival—and he has killed in order to live. Now, something is forcing Preacher out of his Rocky Mountain range for the so-called “civilized” world. It is the memory of a woman, his first and only true love. It is her blood calling out for revenge. The murder's deadly trail will lead Preacher from St. Louis eastward, with a stopover at his childhood home. But even the rekindled fire of family won't detain Preacher from his pursuit and soon he'll arrive at the site of his blood vengeance: Philadelphia Pennsylvania—the city of Brotherly Love. But even the best laid plans of mice and mountain men often go awry...

A wagon train of pioneers is struggling Westward toward Oregon through the howling winter and a band of Arikara warriors are hot on their trail. Little do the Arikaras suspect that they're about to come face-to-face and gun-to-gun with a ferocious fight they never expected, courtesy of the wily mountain man called Preacher. As Preacher struggles to bring the settlers to safety, he learns the real reason they were attacked and begins to suspect that the secrets they've been keeping equal a worse kind of danger. With treachery in the air, more Arikaras on the warpath and a deadly deep freeze bearing down, trust is a thing of the past and survival is the only thing that matters.

He fought for his freedom In a land of towering mountains and howling winds, a man has found a home—away from other men and away from memories of the past. A trapper by trade, a fighter at heart, he has earned the name Preacher, and a legend of his own. He fought for his life In the wilds, Preacher has learned the rules of survival, and he has killed in order to live. But now something is forcing him out of his Rocky Mountain range for the so-called civilized world. It is the memory of a woman. It is her blood calling out for revenge. Now he'll fight for the truth In St. Louis, a girl from Preacher's past has been murdered. For the man whose heart she once touched, the time has come to leave the high wild country—for truth, justice, and a new reason to kill.

They call him Preacher. And they call him when they need help. Now, a Mexican brother and sister have asked the legendary frontiersman to accompany them into the Sangre de Cristo mountains—to find a missing family fortune of gold and silver. In a land stained by cruelty and war, the Spanish treasure has drawn the interest of a treasure hunter with ruthless paid killers as his partners. And by the time Preacher finds the bounty, bullets have begun to fly. No gunfight will ever scare Preacher. But betrayal, greed and a deadly mystery are enough to have him looking over his shoulder. The caves dotting the wild mountainside are guarding an explosive secret. And Preacher's gut tells him that whoever next claims the Spanish treasure will be the next to die...

Long before there was a mountain man called Preacher, a young adventurer set off with a team of fur traders from St. Louis for the time of his life. On a wild frontier, he sought a fortune. Instead, he found blood, betrayal, and the beginning of a legend. Armed only with a knife, surrounded by a fierce Blackfoot war party, the young man was forced to kill a warrior chief in an act of audacious courage. But when a grizzly bear attack left him half-dead, he could no longer protect himself. By the time the Blackfeet found him again, he had been abandoned and doublecrossed, with only one last trick up his sleeve: the ability to talk himself out of an impossible situation-and into a battle for his life. So began William Johnstone's masterful saga of the courageous loner who would become known as Preacher. Because when he was alone and desperate, he drew on a preacher's skills-and a mountain man's cunning-to give his enemies hell.

Long before there was a mountain man called Preacher, a young adventurer set off with a team of fur traders from St. Louis for the time of his life. On a wild frontier, he sought a fortune. Instead, he found blood, betrayal and the beginning of a legend. Armed only with a knife, surrounded by a fierce Blackfoot war party, the young man was forced to kill a warrior chief in an act of audacious courage. But when a savage grizzly bear attack left him half-dead, he could no longer protect himself. By the time the Blackfoot found him again, he had been abandoned and double-crossed, with only one last trick up his sleeve: the ability to talk himself out of an impossible situation – and into a battle for his life…

A big city like St Louis is the last place where a mountain man like Preacher would pick a fight. But how else will he get at the ruthless power broker who is using fear and bloodshed to take over the Western fur trade? Shaving his beard and posing as a farmer from Ohio, Preacher comes face-to-face with Shad Beaumont and insinuates himself into his organization—as Beaumont's own personal bodyguard. But before Preacher can take down the sadistic leader, innocents—and not-so-innocents—are drawn into Beaumont's intricate web and Preacher finds the stakes of the game have become alarmingly high.

In the bustling streets of St. Louis, two cousins have a dream: to travel west with a wagon train of supplies and make a fortune in trade. Preacher needs a job and is heading west anyway. But he doesn´t bargain on the beautiful woman who sneaks her way into the wagon train and the trouble she brings on board. Then, before he can wash his hands of the whole bunch, he´s suddenly in a fight for his life. Sensing easy prey, outlaws in a lawless land have swooped down on the band of pilgrims already bitterly divided by secrets, passions and hatred. And for that, they will all answer to Preacher.

The mountains are brimming with the lure of fortunes—from gold to a booming fur trade. A man at home in this once pristine wilderness, Preacher knows there's no turning back civilization now. What he doesn't know is that beyond the plans of some men is a deadly enemy with far more dangerous designs… With vengeance-hungry criminals shadowing his every move, Preacher meets a beautiful woman working to bring a rail line to a remote settlement. And while Preacher is distracted by both the beauty and by beastly outlaws, Indians attack the outpost—and settlers fight furiously back for their survival. When the smoke clears and blood dries, Preacher realizes that he's in a war more deadly and complex than any he's known. Agents of a foreign government ignited the Indian attack. And they've got far bigger plans—and only Preacher stands in their way…

The harsh, unforgiving frontier is no place for innocents. And when an old friend of the Preacher's asks him to guide a gaggle of wide-eyed Easterners through the Rockies, Preacher responds with a polite: "Hell no." But the pilgrims are pursued by a gang of outlaws...and then ambushed by angry Indians. With his friend caught up in the melee, Preacher has no choice but to try to rescue him...and anyone else who happens to be within reach.

On the rolling Missouri River a riverboat of fur traders, a U.S. Senator and Prussian royalty are all heading to the Yellowstone from St. Louis. Preacher's onboard because the nation's fate depends on the passengers landing safe and sound. But it won't be easy. Two beautiful women make a play for Preacher. So does a killer. So does a band of river pirates. No sooner does Preacher beat back these threats than the riverboat lands in the middle of a blood-soaked Indian ambush--with a Prussian nobleman and his family taken hostage. Preacher has no choice but to go off in pursuit, even with a traitor trying to slaughter him. Someone wants to start a war and change the course of American history. Only a lone mountain man and the ambush of bullets he wields with deadly, unerring force stands in the way...

Montana Territory and a band of Assiniboine Indians give Preacher shelter for the winter. A beautiful woman named Raven's Wing makes the sheltering even better—once he gets things straight with a jealous brave who wants to lift Preacher's scalp. Across the border is another wanderer and another tribe. Preacher's old enemy, Willie Deaver, plies a band of Indians with the deadliest combination possible: whisky, guns and bullets—then directs them to try out their killing tools on the Assiniboine. The raid reaps a harvest of devastating death, bloodshed and helpless captives. Deaver is all the more delighted when he learns Preacher is among the fallen. But in the driving, drifting snow, with a handful of bloodied survivors by his side, Preacher is rising: a rifle in his hands, red-hot fury in his heart and icy vengeance in his gun sight…

For the sake of the son he never knew, Preacher goes on the warpath. Long ago, the legendary trapper known as Preacher took shelter with the Absaroka, and fell in love with a girl called Bird in the Tree. Twenty years later, he rescues a woman and her son from an ambush by the hated Blackfoot. The woman is Birdie, and the valiant young warrior is Hawk That Soars—Preacher's son. Now the greatest fighter on the frontier is about to go to war, to protect a family he never knew he had. Led by the vicious war chief Tall Bull, the Blackfoot are trying to wipe out the Absaroka. Hopelessly outnumbered by vicious warriors, Preacher and his son launch a war that will stain the Rocky Mountain snow with Blackfoot blood.

It's fur trapping season and Preacher is about to discover the Rocky Mountain trail holds more than wild game - it's also infested with murderers and trail trash quick to deceive, steal, and hunt Preacher down. Among them are Jebediah Druke, his ruthless band of killers, and most terrifying of all, the barbaric renegade Crow warrior known as Blood Eye. When Preacher shows up and gets on their bad side, he stirs up a clash that could lead to a brutal and bloody battle. Preacher gears up for his own brand of raw justice when he learns Blood Eye's been tracking him with nothing but bad intentions. There's a showdown coming and only one man will ultimately rise up out of the carnage...