Based on incidents that took place in the southwestern United States and Mexico around 1850, this novel chronicles the crimes of a band of outlaws, with a particular focus on one, "the kid," a boy of fourteen. His birth ended his mother's life in Tennessee. Scrawny and wiry, he runs away at the age of 14. As he makes his way westward, the impoverished and illiterate youth finds trouble at every turn. Then he's recruited by Army irregulars, lured by the promise of spoils and bound for Mexico. Churning a dusty path toward destiny, he witnesses unknown horrors and suffering--and yet, as if shielded by the almighty hand of God, he survives to breathe another day.
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