With his glory days as a criminal far behind him, Jess Wade, a rugged horseman and dangerous outlaw Vince Hackett's right-hand man, now wants out. But going straight is easier said than done. After all, no one betrays Hackett. As a result, Vince frames Wade for the theft of the Victory Gun: the powerful gold-and-silver cannon that fired the last shot against Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico. Now, hunted down like prey, Jess is on the run from the Federales, bearing the hideous mark of a thief. And as Hackett threatens to wipe the small town of Rio Seco off the face of the earth, everyone believes that Jess is guilty.