Arizona, 1868.Two men. One white, one colored.Both proficient with the long arm, the greatest long-range weapon of the age. The .50 caliber Sharps rifle.Ex-sharpshooters Nick Guardeen and Thaddeus Johnston are called before the Governor to receive the promise of something they've never had before: land. The proviso is that they undertake a highly dangerous mission across the border into Mexico.Hounded by a mysterious gang of merciless assassins they press on across the desert to discover the whereabouts of a ruthless ex-Confederate general whose crazed mission is to restore the Confederacy.Nick and Thaddeus need all the military techniques learned during the recent conflict and their skills with the long rifle to survive against Apaches, murderers and a reinstated army of rebel forces massed in their deadly stronghold.