Prequel to the “Ten Men of Courage” trilogy. Ace, Kip, and NacioBen Hawkins, swindler and murderer, lived to profit at the expense of others. Texas cattleman Arthur Nichols was a man everyone trusted. Their partnership in the Red River Ranch brought Arthur’s death, and the culmination of Ben’s plan to take all Arthur had. The only hitch to Ben’s complete success was Arthur’s son Kip, and his own son Leroy (Ace), who were determined to stop him. Martín Loyola was heir to the vast Loyola hacienda. His wife’s brother, Gaspar Cruz, connived his way into the good graces of the Loyola family. All were blind to his treachery, and ultimate goal of taking the hacienda by eliminating the heirs. The only Loyola who saw through Cruz was Martin’s son Nacio. With Martín’s last breath he whispered to Nacio that Cruz was his killer. When his mother refused to believe him, Nacio stormed away from his home to lead a rebellious life as a bandito.Ace Hawkins with his hatred of all his father was and determination to be nothing like him; Kip Nichols anger over his loss of all they had built in Texas and his belief that Ben murdered his father; Nacio Loyola in his rage at seeing his family’s legacy stolen by an outsider and the realization that living as a bandito solved nothing: these are the fiery forges that steeled Ace, Kip, and Nacio to be the Men of Courage, who grew to understand that the only way to kill the snake of injustice was to cut off its head.