Far from home, North of the Oregon Trail, Skye Fargo rides into a landscape of death. The town of Walnut Woods has been decimated by a deadly, mysterious plague, and a hooded posse has begun hanging suspected carriers of the disease. Their leader--a madman bent on cleansing the West....victim by victim! Now The Trailsman embarks on amission to save two innocents from lynching--a courageous orphan child, and a schoolmarm who finds her way into Skye Fargo's arms--and with the nearest law miles out of reach, his nerves of steel and guns of iron are the only thing thatcan stop the slaughter!