As caretaker of Boot Hill, Gospel Cummings had a personal interest in those who died with their boots on, and of late they had been so numerous as to keep the sky pilot busy saying prayers for their souls. Some of the trouble was caused by Cord Demingway, ramrod of an outlaw gang: some of it was the fault of Pug Jones, who had his own owl-hoot followers. Some of the shootings were from honest cowboys such as Charley Compton, who had the choice between being the target of bonanza hunters, or drawing first. Compton was asking for gun trouble and he knew it. But he had no choice. It was either beat two outlaw gangs to a treasure cache in the Badlands or see his hopes for a ranch go up in smoke.