Shadow of the Mast    by L. J. Martin
Price: $2.99 USD. 99420 words. Published on July 7, 2010. .
Young Sam Mueller is shanghaied from Boston aboard a California bound hide, horn, and tallow ship. Escaping from a cruel captain he adds to his skills by learning those of the vaqueros...but California is a hard taskmaster, and he finds himself at odds with the Californios, the Indians, and American's...all who want his hide. A beautiful senorita and a hard won rancho keep drawing him back.