Plot Summary

Jeb West is a 19-year-old hand for the Double B Ranch on the spring roundup when he accidentally comes upon a rustling operation. While he is watching the rustlers, he hears a voice that is seared into his mind as the leader of the gang that murdered his family five years before. He takes action to capture the person, which leads to his uncovering a plot to murder all of the people on the Double B, steal their herd, and sell it.

He is joined by Jeb Nash, a former gunslinger and mountain man, in his quest to thwart the nefarious actions of the gang. During their preparation, they discover that the gang has a stranglehold on the Idaho Territory of 1872, and the law seems unable to do anything about it or even recognize the danger.

While gathering a counterforce, they enlist the aid of the Chinese community of the territory and become close friends with Wu Han, a former officer in a Chinese prince's private army, who, along with the prince, is in exile from the present Chinese emperor.

The trio enlists the help of various ranchers, miners, and other citizens to combat the coming onslaught of the Double B. During their travels, they fall in love with three ladies who are very involved in the women's rights movement.

The action takes place in the 1872 Southwest section of the Idaho Territory, centering around Horseshoe Bend and Boise City. There are many different characters involved, some historical and most fictional. The settings depict what life was like in that time, with all of the hardships and luxuries of the era.