Eileen Mulkerin is the widow of a proud soldier living in the territory of California in 1844. She's desperate to keep her hold on the family ranch, but after a bad harvest, she's in a tight spot when Wooston, their cruel creditor, comes to call in a debt. But while he lived, a few times, her husband had gone on long rides and come back with gold. If she could just find the source of that, that might be enough to buy them free.
All of this is further complicated when her son, the captain of a trading vessel, returns from a trip to Mexico with Mariana, who was fleeing an arranged marriage, and is pursued by the wealthy, dangerous man she was promised to.
This novel provides examples of:
- Arranged Marriage: Mariana is promised to Machado, whom she does not love. She flees her impending marriage and swims out to Sean's ship in the middle of the night, begging for refuge.
- Damsel in Distress: Mariana definitely needs the Mulkerin's help, but she also shows herself to be tough and unflinching in the face of hardship and danger.
- Due to the Dead: Sean decides, even in the danger of assassination in the wilderness, that he must return to the cave and give the Old One a proper burial.
- Easily Forgiven: Machado gives up his vendetta at the end and leaves on fairly good terms with the main characters despite having helped Wooston, been prepared to kill them and rejected numerous earlier attempts at peace.
- Magical Native American: The Old One, also known as Juan (doubtfully his real name), is the last of a lost tribe of long-lived American Indians. He appears to be capable of some kind of travel between dimensions, although none of this is ever explained in detail.
- Rapid Aging: When King-Pin Russell decides to see if he can find the gold for himself, he treads into the territory of the Old One's tribe, and is drawn into their dimension. Unseen voices say that he is an enemy, and if he returns he will lead other hostile people there. They allow him to live and escape, but prematurely age him five decades before he does. He goes out a vigorous, dangerous bandit and returns, days later, an infirm old man.
- Saving the Orphanage: The primary plot is driven by Eileen's desire to save the family ranch from her creditor Wooston.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Another henchman who accompanies King-Pin Russell gets scared and wisely flees as the spooky signs accumulate, right before Russell is sucked to another dimension.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: The fate of the corrupt sheriff is never mentioned, as he doesn't seem to be present in the Final Battle despite having been aiding Wooston right before it.
