For three years, Richter and his three buddies had counted themselves among the lucky - for they had been among the few men from the Confederate Army who had been able to rebuild their lives disrupted by the war. In a remote mountain valley in the barren Southwest, they had discovered an area rich in potential for raising cattle. Richter and his companions had worked hard to build their small spread into what could easily become a big cattle ranch. But they needed capital to grow. They searched and found a backer in Henry Udall: powerful, rich - and ruthless. Richter had heard all about Udall's brutal tricks, but he was certain he could handle any that came his way ... until he met Henry Udall's daughter - and he soon learned they had formed a partnership with death.