From the moment Bruce Martell rode into Indio Basin, he sensed an uneasiness. The cattle showed more than their general wariness at a stranger riding through. Then there were the coyotes and buzzards. Finally, he spotted four beef carcasses that had been slow-elked only the choice cuts had been taken, leaving the rest to rot in the sun. Shortly after his arrival, Bruce found himself surrounded by Hank Asbell and his Rocking A cowhands. Asbell didn t suspect Bruce of being involved, but his foreman, Carp Bastion, was of a different mind and an altercation followed."