The first grey light of morning was spreading over the Eastern sky, as the Union Pacific train for Pine City labored up Holly Hill. Just as the summit was reached, and it began to pick up speed once more, the engineer jammed on the brakes when he saw that a great pine had fallen directly across the tracks, less than a hundred yards ahead. He and the conductor soon realized that the tree hadn't fallen itself - but it had been cut down, and there were a group of outlaws now riding straight towards them...