Jess is out on the trail looking for the killer, Ron Westfall, who murdered his former partner in cold blood while making the man’s wife and young son watch.
He then receives a wire with instructions from Frank Reedy to travel to Spruce to help out Matt Helm, a Texas Ranger. Helm was transferring the outlaw and killer, Alec Lynch, to the penitentiary when Lynch escaped, shot Helm and left him for dead.
Lynch took Helm’s pistol and horse and then found his extra Rangers badge. He began using the badge to pass himself off as a Texas Ranger to help escape capture.
Jess picks up Helm in Spruce and the two begin their search for Lynch, but fate seems to throw more problems at them, making the job of capturing Lynch much more difficult.