The Cartwright brothers have drawn 'lots', to see who will make the hundred mile journey to pick up a valuable stallion for their busy Pa. Adam and Hoss 'win' that draw. In what starts out as a routine trip, soon turns into a life and death struggle, as an old nemesis of the Cartwrights' appears on the scene, seeking revenge. These stories make the most sense when read in their proper order : Book 1, Book 2, etc.