Sonny Holman rides into the lawless town of Helada with a thousand-dollar price on his head and a secret reason for staying hidden. When he spots the vicious black-and-white horse Gunpowder, he volunteers to ride him, turning a savage contest of nerve into a hard-won victory that earns him the sheriff's respect and a deputy's badge. But Helada is a town poisoned by suspicion: the sheriff is widely believed to be tied to cattle rustling, his deputies are dead or gone, and anyone who takes the job is likely to become a target. As Sonny digs into the town's tangled loyalties, he discovers forged evidence, a stolen rifle, and a scheme to frame both him and the sheriff. In the blazing heat of Helada, he moves from the saloon to the sheriff's office to a tense ranchers' meeting, using quick thinking and fearless bluffing to expose the Jackson brothers and unravel the rustling ring. Yet Sonny's own past remains unresolved. Hunted under a false wanted poster tied to a family wrong and a disputed mine, he rides out still searching for the man who ruined him, leaving behind a town he has helped save but cannot yet trust. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.
