Jed, scouting for water, is ambushed by a stranger, Danny Hawks, who thinks Jed is out to steal his horse. Fast talking gets Danny to follow Jed back to the main herd and a meeting with Rowdy Yates the trail boss. After some reservations Rowdy agrees to take the man on. Jed becomes obsessed with Danny's horse. That night a group of men ride into camp led by Nat Benson, claiming Danny is a horse thief, and they want to string him up. Yates refuses to cooperate till they get a warrant. Days pass and everyone working the herd gets progressively edgier. Benson reveals he is riding ahead of the herd and poisoning the waterholes. Yates rides out to confront him but is captured and held hostage by Benson. Hawks decides to try and rescue Yates. As night falls Hawks finds Benson and kills him. Yates believes Hawks planned it all along and drags Hawks to town to face a judge. Hawks tries to escape but is shot and killed by Yates
—glen_chapman <chapman_glen@yahoo.com>