Book excerpt: Escorting three escaped convicts back to Fort Smith, Arkansas, to hang should be an easy enough task even from Shreveport, Louisiana. Boring and long, but easy . . . and Marshal Rodney Taylor was saddled with the job. Having seen the prison at Fort Smith, he knew that escape was not possible without help and related that belief to Upshur, who then volunteered to go with him. They were right! From the moment they left Shreveport with the prisoners, they were followed by the same men who had abetted their escape from prison . . . and they had plans to do it again! Only this time, they would have to kill a U, S. Marshal, and Bill Upshur to free them, and were relentless in their pursuit. Upshur would pit his skills against an ex-military sniper in the Union Army, a man, with the mind of a genius when it came to tactical planning, and procedures. A man with medals to prove it! Only this time, for the first time, frustration had entered his mind, making him unsure of his movements.And he would need to accomplish the task at hand to renew his own self confidence! But Upshur was determined not to allow Rodney to fail his last mission as Marshal, as he has planned to resign his post on arrival at Fort Smith. He would somehow see that he succeeded, and returned home to his family alive and well. Why would he do this, when so many others would not? Because he is Upshur, and its his way!