On the way, he's sidetracked by some intriguing travelers who are hunting down a valuable golden artifact - and it seems that they aren't the only ones who want to get their hands on the treasure. A running gun battle with some killers lands The Loner and his cohorts in the Jornada del Muerto, a hellish, waterless wasteland in New Mexico Territory. And now it's up to The Loner to get himself and his new friends out of this arid stretch of land before they perish from thirst - or lead poisoning.