by Pamela Ropner, 1958
One of Wayne’s favorite books as a child. Set in Africa (South Africa). Peter lives on a game preserve with his father and mother. He loves Africa, everything about it. He sees a beautiful Golden Impala from his window one night – in the moonlight. Thousands of impala are coming onto the reserve. Philip Keen tells him the legend of the Golden Impala. He comes only when necessary to save his race from extinction. Peter is the white boy that saves the impalas by saving the life of the Golden Impala from the mad, red-bearded hunter, Leroux. He was poaching them for their horns to make fake pearls. Turns out the pearls turn to dust in a little while. Quite the adventure tale – Peter and his father and Umosogo and Richard on their way to Philip’s almost get swept down a river in a flash flood. Then Peter is kidnapped by the poachers, saved by Umosogo, then lost, then captured, then saved again while the stampeding impala kill Leroux. Great adventure tail, set in beautiful Africa.