Bob Dawson is living at Brisbane, Nebraska while paroled to Jim Hardie after he helped Wells Fargo. He comes to town talking about the stories he has written in his memoirs about people including those in Brisbane. Pleading poverty people offer him money and food to stay on his good side. After a fight with Nedy West in the saloon, Dawson is forced to kill him in self-defense when Nedy attacks him with a gun at Dawson's place. After he is arrested Jim Hardie arrives after being notified. When he learns the manuscript has been stolen and someone shoots at Dawson while he is in jail, Hardie is sure Dawson is innocent. The question is who was scared enough to try to kill him and where is the original manuscript?
—Anonymous