Inept gunman Ed Leggett botches an attempted late afternoon robbery of Cotton Harmon's roadside diner, resulting in serious injuries to both men. Leggett forces Cotton's wife Doris to treat his own injuries and ignore Cotton's. When Dan Mathews arrives, Leggett threatens to use Doris as a hostage, but he is ultimately convinced to release Cotton and Doris and take Dan instead. Sergeant Williams and a phalanx of Highway Patrol officers surround the diner, but night has fallen and they are hesitant to rush the building or use tear gas because of Leggett's nervousness and his unpredictability. Dan is forced to use a combination of psychology and fearlessness to try to defuse the situation.
—Sam Spear