Originally published: s.l.: Arcadia, 1964; London: Hale, 1966.

Although Web Scott tried to live a good and honest life, the brand of his father was upon him. For Mort Scott had been in prison for ten years for rustling and murder, and everywhere Web went he was pointed out as a jailbird's son. But now Mort, about to die, was protesting his innocence. Furthermore, he was laying the blame on Cole Tillotson, Web's uncle, who owned a big spread in tomahawk Valley and who had brought Web up when the youngster had been left without a father to raise him. And Web did not know whether to believe the parent he had grown to resent and to hate for ruining his life, or the relative who had taken him in and taught him to live by the gun in his hand.