"The Last Of The Chiefs" is a novel by Joseph A. Altsheler that tells the story of two brothers, Richard and Albert Howard, who leave their Illinois farm to seek their fortune in California. Richard is big and strong, but his younger brother is delicate and suffers from exhaustion due to the grueling journey across the prairie. The two encounter a rough and unpleasant group of travelers who are making the same journey, and tensions rise when one of the men insults Albert. The brothers continue their journey, hoping to reach the mountains soon and find relief from the harsh conditions of the plains. Will they get successful in their journey? To explore the complete story that has themes of brotherhood, perseverance, and the harsh realities of life on the frontier, readers should go through The Last Of The Chiefs.
Joseph A. Altsheler was born on April 29, 1862, in Three Springs, Hart County, Kentucky, to Joseph and Louise Altsheler. He was a newspaper reporter, editor, and author of popular juvenile historical fiction. He wrote fifty novels and at least fifty-three short stories. Seven of his novels were in sequence. He worked as an editor at the Louisville Courier-Journal in 1885. In 1892, he started to work for New York World and then as the editor of the World's tri-weekly magazine. He wrote children’s stories due to a lack of suitable stories. On May 30, 1880, Altsheler married Sarah Boles and had a son named Sidney. In 1914, during World War I Altsheler and his family were in Germany and they were forced to remain there. Altsheler died at the age of 57, on June 5, 1919, in New York. His wife, Sarah Boles died after 30 years. Their bodies are buried at the Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky. Although each of the thirty-two novels constitutes an independent story, Altsheler suggested reading in sequence for each series (that is, he numbered the volumes). You can read the remaining eighteen novels in any order.
