The daughter of a Hispanic landowner, Marina Clark has been given a map that purports to lead the way to a hidden cache of Spanish gold. To her husband, Adrian, his beautiful wife and her map are the keys to restoring his family's fortunes and honor, both lost during the Civil War. The Clarks' guide through sun- and sand-blasted lands of what will one day become the American Southwest is Jack Cameron, a deadly shot who has won fame as an Indian scout. It should be an easy trip, assuming they can avoid marauding Apaches and greedy Mexican rurales. But the Clarks are not the only ones seeking the gold. Gaston Bachelard, a former Confederate Army officer turned bandit, is hot on the Clarks' trail, eager to use the Spanish gold to fuel a revolution in Texas. Bachelard will kill anyone who stands in his way.