Zack Tyler (Tom Tully) and his son, Ben (Jeffrey Hunter), are fur trappers living near Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp. In the swamp, the two discover Jim Harper (Walter Brennan), a fugitive who has been unjustly accused of a killing, and his daughter, Laurie (Jean Peters), who has developed very few social skills due to her years spent living in the wild. Zack becomes convinced of Jim's innocence and attempts to set up a proper criminal defense, while Ben and Laurie begin to fall in love.