The Trail to Better Days — Robert L. Collins

One day Will Beck says to his patron, Duke Amos of Columbia, “I'm under siege on two fronts. My trading business has to pay duties to bring goods into Columbia, and I have pay more for plows and such for my estate.” Beck has an idea: go directly west, over the plains, and attempt to establish a direct trade route to the dwarves and their prized metal goods. Can this simple suggestion improve the lives of Beck and his people?