Seward City was in roughshod, chaotic Dakota Territory. The day he arrived by stage, Jud Parker looked impressive, physically a big man, dressed in the best clothing with a tall silk hat. Despite appearances, however, in his pocket he had less than one hundred dollars. Renting a dingy room for ten dollars a week seemed like a fortune to Jud. Yet there was a restlessness here that Jud had noticed imbued the entire countryside. Banker Heber Caldwell had the most money, lived in an expensive house and that's what Jud wanted. The first friend Jud makes in Seward City is Buck Loring, a small rancher whose property is mortgaged to Caldwell. When Jud notices the beautiful Miss Mary Alice Curry, Caldwell's cold, efficient secretary and chief assistant at the bank, Buck wagers twenty dollars that Jud won't be able to get close to her. Jud sets his hat for Mary Alice and is able to use information from her to make the first of his long gambles towards making his fortune in this new land.