Detective Jonas V. Brighton and Detective Jennie Hudson work two cases. One ends up in controversy and the other makes national news as they solve the Doctor Perry Talbott case. Brighton is a marksman with pistol and rifle, a skill he gained from his Civil War experience. He gains a reputation as a man to avoid, and his partner, Wes, gives him the nickname "Rawhide Jake." The two of them roam the countryside, saving each other's lives more than once and recovering stolen cattle until they receive orders to go their separate ways.