The Man of the Forest: The Authorized Edition by Zane Grey

Accidentally overhearing a plot to kidnap the niece of a prominent rancher as she arrives from the East, Milt Dale springs into action. He comes out of his splendid isolation to protect Helen and her kid sister, Bo. Leading them away from manmade danger, exposing them to unaccustomed rigor on mountain trails, Dale imparts his rugged philosophy. Beyond the forest, Beasley and Snake Anson are still waiting to carry out their evil plot.

The Man of the Forest is one of Zane Grey's most celebrated nature novels. In a foreword to his authorized edition, his son, Loren Grey, notes that when the book was first published in 1920, "it was said that probably more Americans learned about Darwin' s views from Zane Grey than from all the college textbooks printed on the subject."

Zane Grey was born in Zanesville, Ohio, in 1872. His career, which spanned thirty-five years, produced more than 80 books 108 films based on his work. He died in 1939.