The title story begins with Conan in the Pictish Wilderness, fleeing native warriors who are now hunting him. To escape his pursuers, Conan climbs a nearby hill. Suddenly, he sees the Picts inexplicably abandon their chase and turn back. Soon, Conan realizes this spot must be a forbidden place to the Picts. The hill turns out to hold a treasure cave, along with the preserved bodies of a pirate captain, Tranicos, and his crew. Eventually, the treasure draws others towards the forbidden cave in their quest for it — one Count Valenso, and both Zingaran and Barachan sea reavers. But the bane of Tranicos is quite ready to take new victims, and Conan must outmaneuver all of them if he is to claim the riches.
Howard's original story pointed toward a new nautical career for Conan; one of de Camp's major changes was to make it lead instead into the revolution that would bring the Cimmerian to the throne of Aquilonia.
"The Trail of Tranicos"
The essay following the story relates the circumstances of de Camp's discovery of Howard's manuscript and his revision and publication of it.
"Scald in the Post Oaks"
The remaining essay is about Howard himself.
Sources
Laughlin, Charlotte; Daniel J. H. Levack (1983). De Camp: An L. Sprague de Camp Bibliography. San Francisco: Underwood/Miller. p. 97.
