A desert rescue, an Apache midnight visit, a lost preacher, an unexpected baptism, and an incredible gunfight all combine to make life in the Tularosa Basin exciting for Zenas Meeker and the Rafter JD vaqueros. Zenas and his pals cross the Tularosa Basin in search of gold and adventure only to find the waterholes fouled by avenging Indians. They are rescued by a Rip Van Winkle and a mule named Pet. At the end of a cattle drive, Zenas joins the Army as a wagon driver and participates in the Red River War. In Mexico, he encounters a most unusual breed of cattle that proves to be too dangerous for the Apaches to steal. Death stalks Zenas and Van Hunsucker as they cross the Jornada Del Muerto. An eccentric mule causes an unexpected dunking and a catastrophe for Rip. And Will Castleberry, guide, gambler and gunman, is an unconscious participant in the most incredible gunfight in the old west...