Benton's Books

Silently Beats the Drum

The Drum Series Volume 1

During the years he fought for the lost Southern cause during the Civil War, Jeb Patton should have died countless times.  Carrying only the precious memories of the girl he left behind, he survives until one night near a no name town in Arkansas and is severely wounded.  Waking up in a tent with his right leg removed at the knee, Jeb loses the desire to live, until he meets a man more severely injured than he. 

Released from the hospital, Jeb starts a long walk home with only one good leg, some moldy fatback and an old crutch.   Along the way he befriends an old runaway slave, named Moses, and picks up a young black girl, Faye, whose father has been killed by the Yankees.  Unsure what to do with the two, he takes them home to Missouri, knowing they can reach freedom from there.  But, once at home Jeb Patton discovers that the girl he loves deeply no longer loves him.  Thinking she does not want him because of his missing leg, Jeb takes Moses and Faye and moves west, to the shining mountains--where the real action starts after Faye is kidnapped by a gang of ruthless killers.

The size of the book should be around 5 1/2 by 8 1/2 and it is approximately 300 pages or so.  I am unsure of the price, but around $15.00.  More will be posted once I get the information from the publisher.

To order the book, contact sagabooks@shaw.ca or visit the website.