Seward City was in roughshod, chaotic Dakota Territory. The day he arrived by stage, Jud Parker looked impressive, physically a big man, dressed in the best clothing with a tall silk hat. Despite appearances, however, in his pocket he had less than $100. Renting a dingy room for $10 a week seemed like a fortune to Jud. Yet there was a restlessness here that Jud had noticed imbued the entire countryside. Everyone had something to do, some place to go, some means of making money. Banker Heber Caldwell had accumulated the most money and lived in a house that had cost $100,000. Jud knew that nothing compared to the mansions he had seen back East, but the Caldwell home was what he wanted for himself, and using his ingenuity and his physical prowess he intended to have it.