In 1870 Nacogdoches County, Texas, Buck Hudson is a twelve-year-old boy, and big for his age. He is fast becoming quite the cowman in the estimation of his father, Billy, and also is a pretty fair hand around his mother Liz's chickens. Buck's grandfather, Old Man Hudson, is visiting indefinitely from St. Louis, and in spite of the fact that Buck and his parents live in Nacogdoches County, Texas, is quite close to the boy. Billy Hudson wants nothing to do with the oil business, and has been rebuffing the ruthless oilman, Barnabas Callahan, who along with his sometime partner, Denton Delacroix, have been busy wrapping up Nacogdoches County ranch land in order drill wells. While Old Man Hudson and Liz are away getting supplies, an attempt at heavy-handed negotiation goes terribly awry, and Billy Hudson is killed by Callahan's gunsel, Mackenzie Slade. Buck is badly beaten into a six-year coma. Old Man and Liz Hudson secretly return to St. Louis with the comatose boy, allowing the town to think that Buck is dead. On a Christmas in 1876 St. Louis, Buck finally reawakens. It will take the three years until Buck reaches his majority to rehabilitate his body and train under the watchful eye of Old Man Hudson, a former gunman and a practicing gunsmith. During those three long years, Buck Hudson spends every waking moment getting himself ready to return to Nacogdoches. When Buck reaches his one time stomping grounds, things are more complicated than he might have imagined. His childhood sweetheart, Sabrina Delacroix, is now engaged to the vicious Mackenzie Slade, and Buck Hudson must deliver a bullet for Slade.