In this rousing new Ralph Compton Western, a young man must learn to lead if his companions are to face a band of outlaws—and survive.

Back home in California after a failed attempt to strike it rich in the silver mines of Colorado, the last thing Eugene Castor wants is to be recruited to join a manhunt. But Castor finds it impossible to turn down his father's old friend, Marshal Arthur Adams. Besides, the reward is sizeable. Not only did a band of outlaws rob Old Man Herbert, the richest man in town, but they kidnapped his new wife, too!

The posse is a volatile mix that includes Herbert's hot-tempered son, the family's cold-eyed hired gun, a crack shot rancher with no time for a loser like Castor, and Geneva Harriot, the town's controversial lady doctor. Out on the trail of the fugitives, the group encounters a traveling medicine show, a band of rowdy prospectors, and a whole passel of bloody trouble.

As they race to catch up to the outlaws, Castor starts to realize things may not be what they seem. After his previous failures, will he be able to trust himself enough to get to the bottom of what really happened?