Tales from Deadwood Series

Retired army sergeant Dan Ryan came to Deadwood to stake his claim on the gold to be found in the Black Hills. Unfortunately, his labors have borne him little fruit, and he finds himself spending more time drinking up what little profit he makes in the company of such infamous characters as Calamity Jane.
 
Then General George Crook’s army arrives in town, fresh from their campaign against the Sioux. Among the soldiers are three men Ryan served with, men he hoped never to see again. Privy to a secret he prayed would never be discovered, they’re greedy enough and foolish enough to draft Ryan into stealing from Deadwood’s deadliest resident—saloon owner Al Swearengen.

It’s 1876. Dan Ryan, formerly of Custer’s 7th Cavalry, is leading a party of prospectors to the Black Hills—Sioux Indian territory—where gold was discovered the year before. Off-limits to whites, the region is overrun by so many fortune-seekers that the U.S. Army is powerless to stop them. Besides, what’s a paper treaty worth next to gold-rich land?
 
In nearby Deadwood, men raise hell all night after prospecting all day. An outlaw town with no right to exist on Indian land, Deadwood is a lawless cesspool where those who strike it rich can lose everything, including their lives. Possibly the meanest man in the Dakotas, Al Swearengen sells liquor that can poison a man when gold is involved. And now, even the legendary Wild Bill Hickok—losing his eyesight but still finding trouble—and Calamity Jane are coming to stake their claim.
 
Dan Ryan is going to have to fend off roaming gunmen, angry Sioux, ruthless gamblers, whores, and thieving prospectors in order to protect his claim because in the Badlands of Deadwood, trouble always comes at you from behind.