Once every year, Perley Gates and his brothers lead the Triple-G crew on its annual cattle drive. It's a treacherous journey along the Great Western Trail, with a herd of two-thousand cows on one side and many opportunities for trouble on the other. This year, trouble shows up in the form of a beautiful young woman, her little baby, and her bizarre traveling companion--a colorful old cuss who goes by the name of Possom Smith. They're heading to a settlement called Butcher Bottom, and risking their necks to get there. Perley--being the gentleman he is--offers to escort the trio to their destination. But there are a few minor details they "forgot" to tell Perley... The woman is a widow whose husband had enemies. The old man is hiding a small fortune that might get them killed. And Perley is stuck in the middle trying to decide who's good, who's bad--and who deserves to die first...