The frontier continues to move west, and what was a booming railroad town less than a year ago is little more than a dying company town now. In the desperate town of Citrine Springs, Elmore Stonebrook and Judge Willard Vernon Wallace encounter the Longspur Mining Company, which keeps the town alive by moving dirt from one hole in the ground to another.

This is the sort of fool's effort that always hides corruption and malfeasance, and the Judge is eager to discover the true purpose of the mine.

What he finds is prophecy and blood sacrifice . . .