Traders in Indian slaves did big business in the New Mexico territory. The Mexicans had been slaving Indians for hundreds of years, and though it was supposed to be against the law, ruthless men were still getting rich on human misery with the help of crooked judges and greedy politicians. The big ranchers wanted cheap labor and slaving was an open secret in the Territory, with the law and the Army looking the other way. Carmody knew it was none of his business. He just wanted to free one Indian family—he owed them his life—and then ride out. But it wasn't that simple. The slavers held all the aces, and thought they could run him out. Carmody showed them how wrong they were.