After suffering a serious injury in battle against the Poncas, Old Firehand has retired to St. Louis. Years later, an attack on his friend, the gunsmith Henry, turns him back into a merciless hunter; with Winnetou’s support, he regains his former strength and endurance. A months-long manhunt takes him across vast swaths of the United States, at times accompanied by Winnetou, the “upside-down toasts” Dick Hammerdull and Pitt Holbers, and the young Buffalo Bill. After many detours and battles, the old hunter succeeds in tracking down a notorious hitman.