Rusty McBride is carrying the richest shipment of his life silver traded to him by the Shawnee. He's on the trail to Fort Pitt to trade his treasure when he picks up the attention of a gritty rustler in a settlement along the way.
Rusty can tell that this man knows he's hauling some valuable freight and is willing to do anything to get his hands on it, even if that means killing him. Rusty, using his wits and some trickery, slips out of town undetected. But now he knows he's being chased down a trail with no law in sight, except that administered by his own rifle.
With all this action, Rusty hadn't counted on a hostile Indian war party terrorizing travelers up and down the Ohio River. He also hadn't counted on finding a survivor of this rampage in desperate need of his protection.
With all these scavengers and murderers close on his tail, Rusty wonders whether he will reach Fort Pitt with his cache or even his life."