Morgan Hickman (Henry Fonda) is a tough gunslinger with a knack for keeping his cool in tense situations. When he wanders into a town where the local lawman has been killed, he finds callow but eager Ben Owens (Anthony Perkins) temporarily acting as sheriff. Soon Ben, who wants to keep his new position, is looking to Morgan for guidance. Though the bounty hunter has his own issues with law enforcement, he admires Ben's enthusiasm and decides to train him to be an effective sheriff.