Three bandits made off with $30,000 in gold and buried it in secret. When the gang leader is released from prison, ex-railroad detective Marc Charvein follows his prey to the hidden treasure—in a ghost town called Lodestar.

In Dawson City, Bill Carmody fires two bullets into Cache Swenson, his former partner who had stolen all the gold dust from their claim.The only route for escape is the Yukon River, but to do it, he and Chilcoot Charlie will have to steal a boat, and already a Mountie is after them.

Caswell McCarthy was no hero. The very idea of such a thing had never crossed his mind. Yet he had cheated to give himself the short straw when the five exhausted men had drawn to see who would stay behind. He felt he was the only one who had the slightest chance of slowing down the pursuing war party of Chiricahua Apaches.

The men kept re-enlisting, they were all battle-hardened troopers. The Lieutenant was not respectful of the men, yet he expected extreme respect. It seems that the men knew how to act, for the good of the Service.