Seventeen-year old “Muddy” Brannick was orphaned early in his life and was raised by a series of families, including three of the territory’s best lawmen. Through an unfair turn of events he is sent to Wyoming Territorial priso for a crime he didn’t commit,by an alcoholic judge who hates him. After six years of prison life that leave their deep mark on him his sentence is over-turned and he comes home to settle a few accounts. He also learns that he is not an orphan and that his faather is quite a guy. In the five short stories that follow you will meet a gold panner named Willy T., a roaming blacksmith, a cowboy who can’t help minding other people’s business, and two railroad men heading into Dakota Territory. Enjoy. G.L. O’Connor G.L. (Jerry) O'Connor is an educator (over 30 years in the junior high classroom), a humorous speaker (over 30 years on the banquet circuit), a raconteur ( life-long story teller of tall tales, soft lies and good jokes) and an entrepreneur (makes and markets the world's greatest Mustard). He is an over-the-hill North Dakota native descended from ter- ritorial pioneers. He grew up in a loud and wonderful family of twelve children where he learned to shout, defend himself and, now and then, ask permission. Jerry and his wife of forty-plus years have raised three of their own. He earned his Bachelor's degree from the University of North Dakota (he's a Fighting Sioux) and his Master's Degree from Texas A&M (Yep, he's an Aggie, too.). If you add up all the years, he has spent over half his life in the classroom. Now that he's retired, Jerry has more time to spend writing. He has completed his first full-length novel (a western), a shorter nov- elette (also a western) and a novelette for young readers (a mystical fantasy adventure). He has also written articles and poems, most of which have not been published...yet.