 The protagonist, a likeable American cowboy (Antony) in Edo-period 19th-Century Japan, becomes trapped in the middle of the strife between two feuding aristocratic Japanese families.The cowboy possesses a priceless scroll, acquired by chance while he was in Alaska, which both warring families want.Violent fighting ensues, involving Samuri swords, a Gatling gun, and a makeshift single-shot blunderbuss.