Don Coldsmith, voted one of the greatest western writers of the twentieth century by the Western Writers of America, single-handedly revolutionized the Western novel with his acclaimed Spanish Bit Saga. Set in the early sixteenth century, the Spanish Bit re-creates a time, a place, and a people that have been nearly lost to history. In it we see history through the eyes of those who lived it.

The Elk-Dog band has grown and prospered, yet still they cling to old traditions. Eagle Woman, the unmarried daughter of a sub-chief, is as skilled, as fearless, and as strong as most young men of the band. Defying tradition, she applies for warrior status-over the spirited objections of Long Walker, the handsome warrior who wants her for his wife. But the more he opposes Eagle Woman, the more determined she becomes. When a tragedy strikes her family, Eagle Woman sets out on a dangerous mission for vengeance against the treacherous Head-Splitters. And Long Walker rides with her-straight into a trap.