Will prospector Possum Corbin rescue Paladin from dying in a desert, if Paladin reads the encyclopedia to him? In capturing a killer who's laid claim as king to his own country in the Southwest, at first every move Paladin makes is a winner. But when he shortcuts across badlands to get the desperado to trial, Paladin risks his own life and his prisoner's for an expenses-only assignment, done for the sake of a widow impoverished by 2 previous failed attempts.
—David Stevens