Battle-scarred and hungry for power, Jed Starbuck came through the Civil War determined to carve himself an empire from the Texas plains. As far as he was concerned, the thousands of half-wild bush cattle were just waiting for a new brand--the Starbuck brand. Starbuck didn't care how far he had to bend the law to make himself rich, but he hadn't counted on a vicious vaquero dead set on stopping him.