The Fields of Silver and Gold series brings the past alive. Meet the trailblazers and the pioneers, the first people and the famous explorers, the legends and the everyday heroes that shaped the history, land, and culture of the West. Their powerful stories will fascinate and inspire you. Fearless. Young. Patriots. Wanted - Young, Skinny Wiry Fellows Not Over Eighteen. Must Be Expert Riders, Willing To Risk Death Daily. Orphans Preferred. Despite lasting only 18 months, the Pony Express is legendary in frontier history. Its fearless riders faced wild animals, hostile attacks, and robberies to deliver mail from coast to coast as the nation faced civil war and the telegraph raced to make it obsolete.