In When a Gunman Steals a War, Tom Fortune, who has been sentenced to twenty years in prison on a murder charge, is paroled because of his bravery during a penitentiary fire and doubts about the flimsy evidence that convicted him in the first place. He is reminded by the warden that he must return to Sundown, take up ranching again, and stay out of trouble, or he will be forced to serve the remaining seventeen years of his sentence. Fortune returns to Sundown country and the XO Ranch, of which he was half owner, only to find that Sheriff Bent Hooker and his two brothers now own the XO and are fast taking over everywhere. Is it possible for Fortune to fight this combination without violating the conditions of his parole?

In the title story, Travis, Roger Travis returns from Central America, where he had nearly died. Landing in San Francisco, Travis tries to draw money against a certificate of deposit at the South Bay Bank, only to learn that his account has been cleaned out by someone calling himself Roger Travis. The banker is convinced that the real Roger Travis is a fraud and wants him arrested, but Travis escapes. Knowing that the imposter would go to New Mexico Territory next, he intends to give pursuit. But the usurper has won himself stature in the community, half ownership of a ranch, and has a number of dangerous and unscrupulous men working for him. This Roger Travis believed the real Roger Travis was dead. When he finds out the truth, he knows there is only one way to deal with the problem if he is to keep all he has gained.