It was originally serialized in The Saturday Evening Post as Ambush at Blanco Canyon.

Published two years prior to Hamilton's Death of a Citizen, which launched his popular Matt Helm series, it explores many of the same themes of self-reliance that dominated the author's work.

Maryland sea captain James McKay goes west to Texas, to claim his bride, and steps into a violent feud over water.

The novel was adapted into a film of the same name in 1958 starring Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, Carroll Baker, Charlton Heston, Charles Bickford, Burl Ives and Chuck Connors.

[1][2] The film adaptation was mostly faithful to the plot of the novel, while simplifying the story and eliminating some characters.