The Flaming Forest

A Royal Northwest Mounted Police sergeant named David Carrigan undertakes a solitary mission deep into the northern wilderness, where seasonal river brigades and fur traders animate remote settlements. He moves along great rivers, reflecting on his devotion to the land and on the harsh cycles that connect isolated people to distant markets. The plot unfolds through encounters with boat crews, traders, and other frontier figures while the thawing landscape and unseen dangers test endurance and duty. Themes include solitude, the rugged beauty and perils of the wilderness, the obligations of law on the frontier, and the interplay between human commerce and the natural world.