Zane Grey 
Desert Gold 
A Romance Of The Border

The prologue starts out with what seems like a chance meeting between two prospectors in the desert who discover they have more in common than just a love of the desert and a hunt for gold. Fast forward to the main character, Richard Gale, a tenderfoot from Chicago who is looking to prove to his rich father that he’s worth something as a man. While helping a friend rescue his girlfriend from an evil rogue named Rojas, Gale is caught up in unrest along the US/Mexican border and meets two rangers working for the Immigration Inspector, Belding, who lives along the Forlorn River. Gale goes to work for Belding and meets the woman of his dreams. Winning her is a whole other prospect, or prospector, take your pick here. 

Grey neatly ties beginning and end together. If you like Westerns with a bit of depth, you won’t be disappointed.