also published as The Red Lance (1959), as by L.P. Eastern also published as Drums of the Prairie (1956), as by P. Lawrence
With the railroad pushing steel into the heart of Indian territory the fragile peace treaty between the Sioux and the white men had again been broken. Young Sioux warriors attack the railroad and only Phil Wilson manages to escape. But nothing is going to stop the ruthless railroad boss who schemes for war to serve his own purpose.
This is the kind of story that inspires me to do some research regarding the story line. Fortunately I know a lot of this timeline already, but I don't have the viewpoint of the railroad worker. In other words, inspiring me to learn more means it was a great book!