Gene Hamilton walked the heated streets of Yuma, Arizona Territory and felt good about his prospects and the small ranch he had south of town. But, the heat was almost unbearable. First thing he did that day was try to stop a fight in front of the saloon. Big mistake. He turned and struck at someone he thought was interfering with his peacemaking. Sheriff Sweeney was not amused. The 3 months in Yuma Territorial Prison set Gene on the straight and narrow. But, it wasn't long before he found someone had taken his ranch away from him for failing to pay the taxes. He wondered who and that led him to a strange and tangled mess of unknown people doing very bad things to not just Gene, but to others. Why? He decided he'd find out why. Then he saw her. She was a delight and a vision in this miserable and Hell on Earth spot. The web wove around him, he was shot, taken to the hospital where the vision treated him with the help of a competent doctor. The woman was taken captive as a warning to Gene and he had to rescue her. Had to, is the only option he had. The last thing he wanted was a woman of her class and style to be caught up in his problems, but that was only his want, not what happened. The end of this book deals with the solution to why things were so corrupt in the city at the time. It appears Gene Hamilton and his secret might go to the grave with him. It didn't, though, and the fast pace of the action leads you to the conclusion this is how things ought to be done.