A rollicking novel about Nat Love, an African-American cowboy with a famous nickname: Deadwood Dick.
Young Willie is on the run,
having fled his small Texas farm when an infamous local landowner
murdered his father. A man named Loving takes him in and trains him in
the fine arts of shooting, riding, reading, and gardening. When Loving
dies, Willie re-christens himself Nat Love in tribute to his mentor, and
heads west.
In Deadwood, South Dakota
Territory, Nat becomes a Buffalo Soldier and is befriended by Wild Bill
Hickok. After winning a famous shooting match, Nat's peerless
marksmanship and charm earn him the nickname Deadwood Dick, as well as a
beautiful woman. But the hellhounds are still on his trail, and they
brutally attack Nat Love's love. Pursuing the men who have driven his
wife mad, Nat heads south for a final, deadly showdown against those who
would strip him of his home, his love, his freedom, and his life.