Book excerpt: After Deputy US Marshal Jed Colter captures Charlie Bearsfoot, a dangerous half-breed who's accused of murder, he ferrets out the facts and clears Bearsfoot, leading to an improbable alliance between them. Back in Laramie, Colter learns of presidential nominee General Ulysses S. Grant's impending visit. A plot to assassinate Grant is real. Colter's challenge? Find out who's behind it -- and stop them. Facing the biggest task of his career, Colter enlists the help of Bearsfoot, a walking arsenal, and ex-sheriff Luke Radison, a good man to have around when trouble hits. They tenaciously pursue every lead: a body with no identification; a missing horse; a man posing as a US Marshal; and Henry Jackson, the mysterious, battle-scarred stranger who haunts the thoughts of Colter and his betrothed, Ellen Wellsley. Finding the dead man's horse just may be the answer to this quandary. But for Colter and his crew, time is quickly running out.