J. A. Whitford and the Great California Gold Hunt

Readers will laugh their way through this Western as they follow the painful consequences of J.A. Whitford's perfect scam, which unexpectedly backfires. In 1859 this New York con man extraordinaire sells passage to nonexistent gold fields in Baja California to 27 gullible men. He plans to abandon them in Florida, keeping their money, of course. Too bad: Whitford loses the money and is forced to accompany the expedition. By means of fantastic chicanery, he shepherds the group from Florida to Texas. His plans may fail, but his optimism--never. Notable is his encounter with the hospitality of Texans and the romantic episode in which he meets his match.