The railroad's drive to close the great distances of the wild American West was treacherous. One man was hired to troubleshoot—and, along the way, he grew to admire the Indian way of life….and a Cherokee maiden. When hired gun John Ryan heads into Indian Territory with a brawling crew of railroad workers, a battle of bloodshed and treachery ensues. But when he later meets the proud Cherokees—and the beautiful daughter of and embattled chief—Ryan sees for himself how his employer's steel rails are splitting the heart of a people's last home. Can his conscience keep him from pulling the trigger?