Pursuit by Communist agents, capture by dreaded Khamba tribesmen who cripple their prisoner, and an unplanned expedition into the Himalaya Mountains change Biff Brewster in his attempt to smuggle the Glowing Buddha, sacred symbol of the Dalai Lama, out of Red-occupied Tibet.
The mission, originally undertaken by Biff's father, grows more dangerous hourly when the Reds, who have tried for years to get their hands on the statue, set a trap, planning to let Mr. Brewster locate the Buddha, then snatch it from him.
Warned of the plot, Biff sets out to prevent his father from unwittingly leading the Reds to the legendary phantom caravan which -- if it exists -- supposedly guards the sacred statue.
The color, the violence and mystery of the Forbidden Land are revealed to Biff as he and his Tibetan companion, Taz Norkay, push deeper and deeper into its uncharted trails. Beset by enemies, befriended by strange monks, Biff and Taz finally are confronted by an aged "specter" whose magnetic, hypnotic eyes radiate unfathomable strength.
Biff's success -- his tangible contribution to the cause of the Free World -- concludes a thoroughly satisfying story of harrowing adventures high in the Himalayas.