It starts at a high-class auction for a pureblood Hereford bull. Smoke Jensen wins the bidding - and the hatred of Pogue Quentin, Santa Clara's leading citizen and a man living on bloodshed and lies. Then Smoke's friend Pearlie drifts to Santa Clara, and when he runs afoul of Quentin, all hell breaks loose. Now Smoke Jensen is heading to Santa Clara to face a man who already wants him dead - but Pogue Quentin never met anything like the fire of a mountain man.