Ben Lane (Audie Murphy) is breaking a horse in the desert that he believes to be stray. He is caught by some farmers who believe he is a horse thief when he is saved by Frank Jesse (Dan Duryea). Lane and Jesse are hired by Kelly (Joan O'Brien) who pays them to take her to a town to be with her husband. In reality, Kelly is setting up Jesse because he killed her husband in a shootout. A unique part of the film is that Lane takes in a collie dog that goes with him everywhere, including riding the pack horse.