In this Old West tale of deceit, revenge, and greed, full of scoundrels, rogues, and desperadoes on a lawless frontier, John Barton learns what it takes to become a man. Chasing his boyhood dream of staking his claim in the Mauvaises Terres, the Badlands of the Dakota Territory, John Barton comes face to face with the undeniable truth that the only winners in life are those willing to take their destiny into their own hands. Signing on to a cattle drive to the Dakota Territory, he is duped into taking part in a dangerous cattle-rustling foray deep into Mexico. Unable to turn back, he fights to survive in a life-or-death struggle during a grueling cattle drive, beset by violent storms, renegade Indians, and men seeking revenge. Finally staking his claim, he confronts the deeper meaning of his lifelong quest and of the mysterious spiritual roots of a land and its people that will forever lie somewhere beyond the horizon.