Twice Bought

"Twice Bought" by R. M. Ballantyne is a novel set in the American West, narrating the tale of Tom Brixton, a young miner whose gambling addiction plunges him into theft and moral compromise. Brixton's life takes a dark turn when he loses everything to a bully named Gashford, leading him to steal in a desperate attempt to recover his possessions. Turning into an outlaw, Brixton grapples with the weight of his actions, pursued by a community he once knew, testing him morally as he confronts the dangers of his new life, setting the scene for a journey of potential redemption on the untamed frontier.

Robert Michael Ballantyne was a Scottish author of juvenile fiction, who wrote more than a hundred books. He was also an accomplished artist: he exhibited some of his water-colours at the Royal Scottish Academy.