Mark Kelton is eighteen years old; part boy, part man, when his family sells their holdings in the Willamette Valley to buy a ranch in eastern Oregon. But during the journey through the mountains, a thief murders Mark's parents and steals their money. Then Bronco Curtis rides into Mark's life. Under Curtis's tutelage, Mark becomes an expert rider, an experienced cowboy, and capable in the use of firearms. But always at the back of Mark's mind is the knowledge that somewhere on the plains the murderer of his parents still rides free. He is convinced that he cannot really become a man until he finds that murdering thief.