In the spring of 1892, twenty-one-year-old Arnie Smith enjoyed the footloose freedom of his life as a cowhand despite the Wall Street panic that had brought hard times upon the land. He would have been happier if his financial situation was more secure, but Arnie is about to learn that hard times are not all about money. It all began when a letter came informing Arnie that his uncle had died and left him a thriving country store. But along with his new-found riches came mind-numbing figures, stifling Texas heat, grim sodbusters, and vicious scavengers.