The Shadow Grows

Having lost all hope of vengeance for the death of all he loved and the destruction of his home, Captain Robert Hester wanders aimlessly without purpose or destination through northwestern Mexico. From Parral to the Copper Canyon and finally to Basaseachi, he wanders, trying to survive in a world filled with danger and death.

He saves an old Mescalero Apache woman from scalp-hunters. He heals her and learns from her, learning the Mescalero skills and knowledge that will help him survive. They form the basis of an odd family, perhaps to replace the one he lost. He saves and heals a half-wolf-half-dog and brings him into the family. He fights bandits to save a vaquero and heals him, too, making him another member of the family.

This odd family travels to Basaseachi where the Captain has to decide between saving the town from bandit raids and riding on to the Texas border. The odds against him are substantial. The Captain is a man with nothing to lose and little hope. The odds against him are great. There are more than thirty bandits. This decision will determine what kind of man he is.