The Settling of the Sage

Hal G. Evarts Jr., a 49-year resident of La Jolla whose literary career spanned more than 50 years and included stints as a free-lance writer, journalist and novelist. In the early 1960s, he started writing adventure and mystery stories for young readers, including the popular “Big Foot.” The American West was the theme of many of Evarts’ earlier novels, including “Colorado Crossing,” “Man Without a Gun” and “The Sundown Kid.”