When photographer Abel Goss comes to town, Lucas McCain decides to have son Mark's picture taken. Mark takes quite a liking to the old man but when Abel sees Col. Jess Whiteside in North Fork, he goes mad vowing to kill the man. It seems that Goss was a prisoner in the Civil War and Whiteside was the very cruel camp commander. Lucas calms him down but when Whiteside apparently call him out, Goss shoots him. There are no witnesses to the shooting and Goss is charged with murder. Mark's recollection of events and the photograph Goss was taking just prior to the shooting prove to be the key pieces of evidence at the trail.
—garykmcd