Book excerpt: Joe Meek was one of the West's irresistible characters. He was dashing, devil-may-care, cheeky, irreverent, and more fun than a playful grizzly cub. Initially, he covers his early life adventuring in the Rocky Mountains, California, and the Southwest. His firsthand account of fur-traders is priceless, as are his descriptions of the country, mountains, and the life of a mountain man. Then, Joe Meek's life as pioneer, sheriff, U.S. Marshall, and legislator is told in his own engaging voice. The turbulent years in the Northwest include the story of trappers, traders, missionaries, women, pioneers, and Native Americans that finally came together and created a state--Oregon.