Melody Jones (Gary Cooper) is a laid-back cowboy who gets lost on the trail and ends up in the small town of Payneville. Seeing the initials "MJ" on his saddle, the people of Payneville mistake Jones for the treacherous bandit Monte Jarrad (Dan Duryea), and they nearly kill him before he is rescued by Cherry de Longpre (Loretta Young). Grateful for her help, Jones falls for de Cherry, not knowing that she is Jarrad's girl and that she plans on using him to help Jarrad elude capture.