Dolf Morgette leaves Alaska on the trail of murderer Forrest Twead. In San Francisco, by chance, he meets Will Alexander, owner of railroads, steamships, silver mines, and--secretly--many of the wide-open variety houses on the Barbary Coast. Dolf takes up Alexander's offer to became his troubleshooter and soon he struggles with the Coast's corrupt police captain Hanratty and the Chinese Tongs. Dolf's life is constantly at risk in this job.