The sheriff of a small town in Texas must maintain custody of a murderer whose brother, a powerful rancher, is attempting to help him escape. After a friend is killed trying to muster support he and his deputies - also a cantankerous old cripple and a drunk - must find a way to stand out against the rancher's hired guns until the marshal takes place. Meanwhile, things are complicated by the presence of a gunslinger - and also a mysterious wonder who arrived on the final stagecoach.