Sheriff Horne (Barry Sullivan) must bring three men to justice before he retires. This turns out to be a great emotional struggle, however, as the outlaws are his adopted father and brothers with whom he was raised. As some of the town's residents are wary that he will not fulfill his duty, they hire gunman Sam Swope (Scott Brady) to ensure that Horne does not back down. Now the battle is not so much between Horne and the outlaws as it is a struggle of morals between him and Swope.