Set in 1916, this story unfolds as a lone cavalry patrol crosses the border into Mexico on a mission to find the legendary outlaw Pancho Villa. The unit of inexperienced horse soldiers is led by Napoleon Childs, a seasoned veteran who is sorely taxed to keep the novices out of harm's way.

Unfortunately, Childs can't keep an eye on all the men and one of the soldiers, who has a penchant for reckless, dramatic actions, makes a move that has dire consequences for the entire patrol. After a brutal attack that leaves his men dead, Childs and one other man remain.

After the other survivor is brutally killed, Childs is left barely alive to tell others what has happened here. In his subsequent struggle for survival, the cavalryman, in a semi-dazed state, relives parts of his past. He seeks to make sense of a lifetime of fighting and tries to fathom why any man would chose a life on the battlefield.

This short novel packs a wallop as the central character offers a glimpse into the violent life of one of the last of the horse soldiers. The battle images are so unforgettable they will be seared into the reader's brain forever. Those who enjoyed Robert Olmstead's Coal Black Horse will find this novel equally intriguing.