After years of riding solo, John Slocum is glad to travel with Harley Duggan, whose hide he'd saved in a barroom brawl. When they arrive in Whizbang, the small, civic-minded town keeps a close eye on these two while the marshal is away. When they mistake them for horse thieves, and hang an innocent man, the vigilantes realize they have to bury their mistake, which means they'll have to kill Slocum. Abridged.