title: Thinning the Herd (Ophir Ridge Saga) (Volume 1)
author:  Rob Turnbull 
description: I am a retired Naval officer living in Portland, Oregon, and I love reading, writing, and discussing about what would happen if the world as we know it went away. From my many conversations with friends, family, and sometimes just people that I meet while walking around or getting coffee, lots of others share a similar fascination the topic. Some of the books I have read presented what I thought were unrealistic or untenable events, interactions, or dialogues in their presentation of how things would happen. I may not have actually lived through an end-of-the-world scenario, but I do know this: It won't be nice, it won't be civilized, and the weak will perish or become victims of the strong. My book was written to counter authors that fluffify (my word haha) TEOTWAWKI. Writing a book was both difficult and easy with a ratio of about 80:20. Believe it or not, the hard part wasn't the writing, it was getting the writing right, it was having confidence in myself, and it was dedicating the time and effort into doing the best I could. The easy part was coming up with the ideas. Heck, everybody has them, they just don't take the time to put them to paper (or to digital storage). Three of my closest friends edited my book and I have to admit that I couldn't have done it without their help. Anyway, this biography is supposed to be about me, not my motivation or my writing process, but if you want to know who I am read my book. Bits and pieces of me are all over it.
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  * * *
  
  The Phantom Herd
  
  
  [FOREWORD.](The%20Phantom%20Herd_split_001.html#filepos6322)
  
  [CHAPTER ONE. THE INDIANS MUST
  GO](The%20Phantom%20Herd_split_001.html#filepos6964)
  
  [CHAPTER TWO. “WHERE THE CATTLE ROAMED IN THOUSANDS,
  
  
  A-MANY A HERD AND BRAND ...”—Old Range Song.
  
  [CHAPTER THREE. AND THEY SIGH FOR THE DAYS THAT ARE
  
  
  GONE
  
  [CHAPTER FOUR. THE LITTLE DOCTOR
  PROTESTS](The%20Phantom%20Herd_split_001.html#filepos69970)
  
  [CHAPTER FIVE. A BUNCH OF ONE-REELERS FROM BENTLY
  
  
  BROWN
  
  [CHAPTER SIX. VILLAINS ALL AND PROUD OF
  IT](The%20Phantom%20Herd_split_001.html#filepos107944)
  
  [CHAPTER SEVEN. BENTLY BROWN DOES NOT APPRECIATE
  
  
  COMEDY
  
  [CHAPTER EIGHT. “THERE'S GOT TO BE A LINE DRAWED
  
  
  SOMEWHERES”
  
  [CHAPTER NINE. LEAVE IT TO THE
  BUNCH](The%20Phantom%20Herd_split_002.html#filepos175679)
  
  [CHAPTER TEN. UNEXPECTED GUESTS FOR
  APPLEHEAD](The%20Phantom%20Herd_split_002.html#filepos204668)
  
  [CHAPTER ELEVEN. JUST A FEW UNFORESEEN
  OBSTACLES](The%20Phantom%20Herd_split_002.h