John Locke has been many things -- lawman, bounty hunter, gun-for-hire. And when it comes to shooting, he's a dead shot with a six-gun or a rifle. Legends abound in the Old West depicting him as both a pillar of justice and a cold-hearted killer. The only thing folks know for sure is that Locke's dangerous -- and not to be crossed unless you have more guts than brains.

Locke's been hired to serve as a bastonero, the Master of Ceremonies, at the hanging of Ignacio Delgado -- a deadly bandit leader who, with his bandidos, has terrorized the town of Fredericksburgh, Texas. But while the townspeople are eager to see him hang, and his men are equally anxious to set him free, Locke discovers there are unseen forces manipulating events so that the wrong man may end up dead -- the Widowmaker himself!