WINNER OF THE MEDICINE PIPE BEARER'S AWARD FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL FROM WESTERN WRITERS OF AMERICA THE MAKING OF AN OUTLAW They were kin to the infamous James and Younger clans-the hard-riding, hard-shooting Dalton boys of Kansas, sired by a drunk, raised by a Bible-believing mama, scratching to survive in a West being tamed by the law. Samuel Coleman Dalton was the youngest, and at the age of thirteen he had dreams of an honest life. But one day an older brother was gunned down in cold blood, and Sam vowed to track down the coward who'd pulled the trigger. The trail of vengeance led straight into Indian Territory, and young Sam grew up fast, gaining a reputation and a name: the Choctaw Kid. When at last he rejoined his other brothers, the legendary Dalton Gang was born, cutting a violent trail in search of riches and renown that led to a last-stand showdown in the Daltons' hometown, where the outlaw band-surrounded, outnumbered, outgunned-faced death by hanging.or death from flying lead. "I grew up in Coffeyvilie, site of the Dalton raid. I have put my fingers in the bulletholes in the storefronts.

This book is real. Max McCoy is one of the finest of today's new crop of western writers." -Don Coldsmith, author of Track of the Bear.