Yancy wins enough money playing poker to pay for his return home to New Orleans. The losing players decide to rob him of his winnings, but he escapes on a riverboat.

Yancy is relieved to find that a newspaper story about administrator Colton's death is premature, but fears that Colton will be the victim of trickery in an upcoming duel.

Yancy tries to find out who's responsible for recent grave robberies.

Merchants are in such fear for their lives that Yancy gets no cooperation in his attempt to break a new protection racket.

Yancy decides to help a fellow riverboat owner whose fleet is being sabotaged by rivals trying to corner the market on river traffic.