The assignment seems a simple one, but a powerful cattleman and his brutal son seek to maintain their stringent control over the town, including the area's vast grazing lands. Deputy Fanshaw soon realizes the formidable duo will stop at nothing to achieve their selfish aspirations.
Before summer is over, Deputy Fanshaw is seduced by an alluring young temptress and finds himself caught in a web of racism and violence that culminates in a shocking murder and the false arrest of his friend, City Marshal Jeff Brown. As time runs out, Deputy Fanshaw must track down the real killer and save his comrade from death on the gallows.