“There’s gold in Pikes Peak country!” The shout was electrifying, the response immediate. The year was 1858. As quickly as they could put their affairs in order, they came—streaming into the wind, charging across the plains. Youths and middle-aged men, poor farmers, lawyers, doctors, storekeepers, outlaws, gamblers, and dance-hall girls—all had eyes shining with hope, sure of success. It was there for the taking—easy gold, ready to be picked up by the shovelful.
The would-be miners came. Some walked; others rode on horseback or in rickety wagons—they were the lucky ones. The billowing canvas tops provided at least feeble shields against sun, rain, and Indian arrows.
Many gave their lives there on that barren stretch of high, desolate prairie. Many a dream was buried beside the trail. Many turned back when they discovered that gold demanded their blood, sweat, and tears. But the survivors—the hardy, determined ones—were inclined to make their dreams come true.
Those who stayed learned to change their goals. The dream of becoming a millionaire gradually diminished into a determination to earn a living. These miners spent their lives ever hacking away at yet another mountain. Still others were willing to exchange the old dream for a new one. Some of these men became successful farmers, industrialists, shopkeepers.
Among the gold seekers, some were successful beyond wildest expectations. Gold nuggets rolled across the gambling tables, and guns roared. The wild west was reality; for a time each man was law unto himself.
Into this climate stepped the missionaries from the Methodist Episcopal church. Clad in threadbare coats, they preached in saloons and in tiny log cabins. As they walked from gold camp to gold camp, their very presence caught the men up short.
Perhaps it was a blessing that only a few of the gold seekers found riches, for the lack of treasure set men looking for a gold that didn’t sift through their fingers. More than a few soberly considered the missionaries’ words and measured the nuggets in their hand against eternal treasure.
But not only the miners faced this dilemma. The daughter of one such frontier preacher plunged into the middle of this restless scene. Amy, sixteen years old, is amazed, bewildered, and mystified by the life surrounding her. Face to face with her father’s calling and the lure of material riches, she must choose the course her life will follow. And the decision that she ultimately makes—the choice between wealth and the will of God—will change her life forever.