The rugged mountains and deserts of eastern California and northern Nevada in the early years of the century are the setting of this moving coming-of-age novella. Ira Hamilton, the teen-age son of rugged Indian-hating rancher John D. Hamilton, wins the bronc-riding competition at a local rodeo and comes away with a special prize - a beautiful, pure-blooded Arabian colt. But the horse is soon stolen by Hawkeye, a notorious local rustler. Accompanied by Cricket, a young Paiute who has been his closest companion since infancy, Ira vows to retrieve his prize. His efforts pit him against the merciless expanses of the Black Rock Desert and the wrath of Hawkeye and his gang. On the way, Ira must find the courage to overcome the challenges of nature and outlaw, and to love the woman of his choice. He must, in short, become a man.