he Red Butte Western is a railroad line that runs across expanses of desert and mountain in the Southwest section of the United States. It has been a "rogue railroad," run fast and loose by dishonest men. Howard Lidgerwood is persuaded by the railroad’s new owner to whip it back into shape, a task which Howard takes on, albeit reluctantly.

The book names more than 40 male characters, nearly all of them employed by the railroad. Many have checkered pasts. All that is required of a man to survive in this part of the country is "nerve and a good gun."

Included in this Illustrated Edition of "The Red Butte" are all four original illustrations, rejuvenated, and 10 additional, relevant illustrations that are unique to this edition of the book.

Francis Lynde (1856-1930) was a prolific writer, with short fiction appearing in magazines like Munsey’s as early as 1894. A decade later, he began a long relationship with The Popular Magazine.

By 1910 when Scribner’s published The Taming of Red Butte Western, Lynde had already published six novels, plus a couple dozen serialized stories in magazines. In later years, three of his stories would find their way to film.