1874. Fort Bethune in the Dakota Territory is the home base for General George A. Custer's Seventh Cavalry, their job to protect the citizenry of the region from the marauding Indians. A group of bandits, led by Clyde Whipple, uses this knowledge to their benefit, committing their murderous crimes, and without any survivor victims to act as witnesses, the crimes are assumed to be committed by the Indians. A holdup of a stagecoach is one such crime committed by Whipple and his men. However, what Whipple is unaware of is that there are two survivors from among the stagecoach passengers: disreputable gambler Bob Tate, and a teenaged orphan, who only knows her given name is Karen. Despite Tate's reputation, Karen will always view him as the person who saved her life. This incident will eventually bring Tate full circle in his close to decade long search for one of Custer's scouts, Jim Turk, which led to Tate being discredited by Custer. Tate hopes to bring his name back into good standing with Custer, who can use as many good men as he can find with a true ambush by the Indians in the Black Hills.
—Huggo