Alex Thorne has been enjoying his retirement from the Secret Service by seeing the world. Aboard the City of Peking, he saves the life of a fellow passenger, Rudyard Kipling. Thorne is immediately suspicious that the incident was far from accidental. A high regard between the two men leads to friendship. After another attempt on Kipling's life, Thorne proposes to act as guardian for the British author on his tour of the American West. Incidents continue to plague Kipling as he traverses the West. Tension and suspense constantly increase as the attempts at harassment take a sudden turn for the worse when the plan changes: Kipling is to be killed.