"This Western thriller rolls . . .with ease and true grit." -- Kirkus Reviews Eons past, an ancient creature the size of a bunkhouse lived out a solitary life and died all alone in a rugged canyon. Millennia later that canyon occupied an isolated corner of C.L. McSween's Rocking S Ranch. That's when McSween decided to dam up the canyon to provide water for his cattle... Paleontology is a brand-new science in 1877, and when Samuel Cobsworth, a paleontologist from back east, discovers the cache of bones from this long-dead Jurassic monster, he realizes they are a priceless treasure trove. C.L. McSween and his daughter Libby don't see it that way. They're concerned only about ensuring the survival of their cattle. On top of that, McSween is a superstitious ex-mountain man. He considers the bone digger a grave robber and wants him off his ranch. "Douglas Hirt has the rare ability to create human characters who we come to know well and deeply care about." --Frank Roderus