Eleven years after leaving his wife, Jessie (Kathryn Hays), in order to make some money, Jonas Trapp (Chuck Connors) returns home with $17,000 he earned from hunting buffalo. Outside town, over the protests of banker Brooks Durham (Michael Rennie), Jonas is accused of being a cow thief and branded with a "T" by Elwood Coates (Claude Akins) and Johnsy Boy Hood (Bill Bixby). Coming out of his painful delirium, Jonas finds he's being cared for by Hanley (Paul Fix),and his money gone. And after he arrives back at home, Jonas' foster-father, Dub Stokes (Gary Merrill), explains that, thinking he was dead, Jessie has agreed to marry the banker, Durham. Pressed by Jonas, Johnsy Boy denies stealing the money before committing suicide. Having never known about the cash, Coates accuses Hanley of having it and kills him when he denies it. Turning to Durham, Coates then accuses him of the theft and demands his share. While Durham tells Jessie he took the $17,000, before he gets the chance to return it, Jonas attacks him and then kills Coates. While Jessie begs him to stay, Jonas rides off. And though left with all the money, she insists on riding out to follow him.