A young archaeologist, Professor Abington, journeys to Sonora caves to investigate prehistoric American Indian settlements; his expedition uncovers ancient relics and leads into hazardous encounters in desert canyons, mechanical breakdowns and confrontations with lawmen and fugitives. As exploration progresses, chance and human choices conspire to force him into an unexpected moral role, requiring decisions that affect the fates of others. Blending fieldwork descriptions, tense outdoor episodes, and reflections on the past, the narrative moves between archaeology and frontier danger until Abington confronts the consequences of both discovery and human conflict.