Building a branch takes heart and grit, and Smoke and Sally Jensen are capable of meeting the challenges of the land. When Smoke learns his old friend Preacher has been ambushed by outlaws, he saddles up and hits the vengeance trail with fellow mountain men Audie and Nighthawk. The town of Desolation Creek in Montana Territory has been taken over by Vernon "Venom" McFadden and his men, harassing terrified homesteaders and townsfolk to get his hands on property that's rumored to be rich with gold. Smoke and his friends--including Sally--need a plan to root out Venom's gang of prairie rats.