In 1905, in the Texas-Louisiana border country, four men meet at Mmc. Mattie Fouquet's Mahogany Parlor of Recreation, Diversion & Entertainment. Foyt is a cowboy who has outlived his era. Karnes is an oil-field rigger, sick of his man-killing job. Boudreaux, a Cajun lumberjack, is fed up with swamps and water moccasins. And Wheeler, an ex-soldier, has never been quite right since taking a rifle ball in the head.