The Furnace of Gold
The Furnace of Gold follows Beth Kent, a young woman who journeys to a Nevada mining camp to support her ailing half-brother and fiancé, only to find herself entangled in a web of adventure, love, and danger with a mysterious horseman named Van Buren amidst the chaos of the gold rush. As she navigates the treacherous landscape and the moral dilemmas it presents, Beth's attraction to Van deepens, complicating her relationships and challenging her values.
By Philip Verrill Mighels · First published 1910 · Genre: Adventure, Historical Fiction, Drama · 47 chapters · 125,739 words
First lines
Now Nevada, though robed in gray and white -- the gray of sagebrush and the white of snowy summits -- had never yet been accounted a nun when once again the early summer aroused the passions of her being and the wild peach burst into bloom.
It was out in Nauwish valley, at the desert-edge, where gold has been stored in the hungry-looking rock to lure man away from fairer pastures. There were mountains everywhere -- huge, rugged mountains, erected in the igneous fury of world-making, long since calmed. Above them all the sky was almost incredibly blue -- an intense ultramarine of extraordinary clearness and profundity.
What this Textopian page supports
The Furnace of Gold is listed on Textopian as a novel by Philip Verrill Mighels, dated 1910 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: Philip Verrill Mighels
- Date: 1910 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Adventure, Historical Fiction, Drama, Western, Romance
- Length: 125,739 words
- Structure: 47 chapters, 2,626 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Furnace of Gold by Philip Verrill Mighels
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Furnace of Gold?
- How does this novel by Philip Verrill Mighels fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Adventure first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- The Gold Trail by Harold Bindloss
- Kit Musgraves Luck by Harold Bindloss
- Carson Of Red River by Harold Bindloss
- The Prospector by Ralph Connor
- Gods Country And The Woman by James Oliver Curwood
- The Honor Of Her People by James Oliver Curwood
Genres
- Adventure — The plot revolves around exploration and the pursuit of fortune, typical of adventure narratives.
- Historical Fiction — The setting and events are rooted in a specific historical context, reflecting the era's social and economic conditions.
- Drama — The story contains intense character interactions and emotional conflicts, characteristic of dramatic literature.
- Western — Elements of frontier life and the rugged individualism associated with the Western genre are present.
Tags
Western Fiction · Historical Fiction · Adventure · Gold Rush · California History · 19th Century Literature · American West · Pioneer Life · Mining Industry · Prospecting · Claim Jumping · Outlaws and Lawmen
Contents
- Prince or Bandit
- Into the Mountains
- A Rescue
- Congenial Company
- Van's Partners
- The Battle
- An Exchange of Questions
- A Night's Expenses
- Progress and Salt
- The Laughing Water Claim
- Algy Stirs up Trouble
- Bostwick Loses Ground
- A Combination of Forces
- Moving a Shack
- Hatching a Plot
- Involving Beth
- Unexpected Complications
- Wherein Matters Thicken
- Van and Beth and Bostwick
- Queenie
- In the Shadow of the Rope
- Two Meetings after Dark
- Beth's Desperation
- A Blizzard of Dust
- A Timely Deliverance
- The Night in the Desert
- Tall Stories
- Work and Song
- Suspicious Answers
- Beth's One Expedient
- Mccoppet Busies his Mind
- The Hardships of the Trail
- The Clouds of Trouble Gather
- The Taking of the Claim
- The Meetings of Two Strong Men
- Van Runs Amuck
- The Primitive Law
- Beth Makes Demands
- Algy's Cooking and Beth's Despair
- Glen and Revelations
- Suvy Proves his Love
- The Furnace of Gold
- Preparing the Net for a Draw
- The Engines of Climax
- The Last Cigars
- Wasted Time
- A Tribute to the Desert