It is the War Between the States and Peyton Farquhar stands at the end of a plank a noose around his neck He has been betrayed by a stranger a scout for the Union Army and now he faces death He stands to lose a beautiful young wife family and home The soldiers make preparations for his death it is routine for them Peytons mind races he must escape If only he can free his hands The plank falls and incomprehensibly the rope breaks He manages to swim away and evade the gunshots from the soldiers He unbelievably finds himself on shore running towards home After what seems like days of weary travel he arrives