Sarah was orphaned as a child when a band of rogue Apaches attacked her family's wagon during the California gold rush, killing her father and brother and abducting her mother and sister. Her subsequent rescue by an elderly couple of Miwoks led to a decade of servitude as their slave. When the old couple were banished from their village, they sought refuge each winter in a thermal cave. On their last visit, they discovered the cave was occupied by an escaped murderer, recovering from a near-death attempt on his life and the resultant loss of his memory. With his help, Sarah broke free from the old woman's control. She was now liberated to search for her missing family members and help her companion recover his memory. When she discovered the true nature of his crimes, she could no longer tolerate his company, and sought the assistance of her childhood friends from the village. Continual practice made her skilled in the use of her weapons. Accompanied by her native friends, who had also lost a sister captured by these marauders, they set out to find and rescue their kin with only a vague plan to guide them. From Central California to Fort Yuma, all their skills and courage were needed to survive the human and physical dangers of the quest.
