The Gambler and The Orphans

The book tells the tale of a gambler, two orphans and a sweet mother who build a life for themselves filled with joy. A Mississippi riverboat gambler, Benjamin Tate, is thrust into a different life as he is forced to adopt two little boys, who have been horribly abused in an orphanage in St. Louis. He takes the boys out West, buys some land and builds a ranch where he raises horses. He meets the boys' school teacher and falls in love with her. He learns that she's a widow who has suffered terrible physical abuse from her late husband. One of the boys is kidnapped and Tate goes after the kidnappers and recovers his adopted son, who tells him, "I knew you were coming, Pa. I never had a single doubt. And I told that kidnapper you'd beat the 'dickens' out of him." The gambler finds out that love makes a difference in both children and horses. The orphans adopt a young horse named Sunny, which is a pet for the boys, but he's no race horse ... until one of the orphans gives him a little talking to, hugs him and gets in the saddle. Suddenly Sunny is transformed by the love of the orphans into a winning race horse. The family finally learns that Benjamin Tate was the best poker player ever on the Mississippi riverboats. Does he regret giving up that life and being a father to the orphans. Not for a single minute. It's another classic tale from R. O. Lane, author of classic westerns.