From Silberton to Durango, Tex and his pards are investigatine the robberies that are bringing the Golden Well to its knees. They find several allies, such as Pop, an old stable hand who acts as an informer, but there are just as many ugly mugs around who are eager to skin them alive, first and foremost Horan, the scoundrel who stole the ring with the eagle and the thunderbolt from the dead officers finger. These curs are all on the payroll of banker Paul Brady: Brady treacherously takes away with one hand what he gave with the other he finances the company and then commissions the robberies, blackmailing the spineless Sam Walcott for gambling debts, the latter being Johns brother, joint owner of the mines... and a spy!