Mort Dexter was a kindly man, and many a settler in the early west owed his start to the big, gruff rancher, whose spread was one of the most prosperous in the south west territory. Mort's wife, Sarah, had been a great influence in his life. She was a quiet, soft-spoken woman, whose gentle ways had worn the edges off Mort's gruffness. On occasions, Mort let his suppressed temper come to the fore, but a soft word from Sarah seemed to be an antidote that brought him out of it immediately. But since their daughter, Mary-Lou had grown into womanhood, his temper flared more often. She was spirited and headstrong, and had the mind to do just whatever she wanted!