A knife in time

The narrative follows a freighting crew when a capable but undersized newcomer who habitually carries a sheath knife is hired as a mule driver and promptly becomes the target of taunts and exclusion. The wagon boss tries to stave off violence even as the crew’s hostility grows, and tensions culminate when the owner selects five drivers, including the newcomer, to compete in a public wagon race. The plot examines workplace persecution, reputation, and the uneasy boundary between skillful competence and feared menace against the backdrop of competitive spectacle.