When former soldier Jim Rennie finds a dead body at the bottom of Sandy Creek, he realises that his quiet life in Creeback valley is over. Reluctantly, he begins to investigate. The dead boy was not one of the settlers nor a cattleman; nor was he part of their bitter land dispute. Nevertheless, Rennie suspects that the boy's death is central to the feud. Settlers homes are being burned and Tom Rutherford, the man responsible, seems too powerful to be stopped. But Jim Rennie knows he must find a way.