Breckinridge Elkins returns to his father's cabin to find him cursing vehemently over a letter from Uncle Joel Garfield in Arizona, who is embroiled in a feud. Despite not being directly asked for help, Breckinridge's father insists that Elkins must go to Arizona to support their kin. Breckinridge dutifully sets out for Arizona, first traveling to Perdition to catch a stagecoach, where he engages in a drinking bet at a saloon and then, heavily inebriated, boards the stagecoach. After a hazy journey, Elkins awakens in Arizona and eventually finds his way to Sawtooth, where he meets his Uncle Joel.

Joel, much less aggressive than Breckinridge, is taken aback by his nephew's immediate desire to confront the Clanton family, the Garfields' rivals. Breckinridge quickly incites a fight with a Clanton in town, leading to his arrest by the local sheriff, whom he also physically assaults. Taking charge of the Garfield household, Breckinridge orders the women to safety and begins preparations for an all-out war with the Clantons. He sends Joel's sons, Bill, Jim, and Joe, on various tasks to ensure the family's defense, though they exhibit a notable lack of enthusiasm compared to their cousin.

Determined to escalate the conflict, Breckinridge sets off to procure a cannon from the nearby fort. Under the cover of night, he positions the cannon near the Clanton ranch and, in a spectacular but misguided attempt to obliterate the enemy, fires it directly at their house. The blast causes significant damage but fails to harm the Clantons, who escape in a panic. Disappointed but undeterred, Breckinridge continues his aggressive campaign, even as the townsfolk of Sawtooth grow increasingly hostile.

His final confrontation comes when he discovers that his supposed relatives, the Garfields, are actually the Guarfeles, and he has been dragged into a feud that has nothing to do with his own family. Betrayed by Joel Guarfele, who disarmed him by replacing his ammunition with blanks, Breckinridge faces the combined forces of the Clantons, the sheriff, and the local cavalry. In a climactic and farcical escape, Breckinridge fights his way out, unintentionally commandeers a captain's horse, and flees the town, vowing to never trust deceitful kin again. The story ends with Breckinridge reflecting on the ingratitude of the Guarfeles and his determination to uphold his own family's honor.