March 1888. Northeast Texas. President Grover Cleveland faces off againstBenjamin Harrison in Washington, the worst snowstorm in history ragesacross the central United States, the Indian Wars are over, the TexasLonghorn, long the staple of cattleman, is being replaced by the morebeefy Hereford, and Texas Ranger Jim Acker, after twelve years with theservice, decides to trade his guns for a pitchfork and a hoe and reclineon a creek bank of his youth with a straw in his mouth. When he returnshome to the family ranch he finds his old uncle in bad health and theirfuture in turmoil. Local land seekers headed by a true devil's advocate,by stealth, wealth and death, are taking over the smaller area ranches. Inaddition, a man the old ranger sent to prison five years earlier has beenreleased, a man who swore revenge and sets out to get it. Jim Acker findshimself torn between his principles, his livelihood and his life. This ishis story.