Will Chalk and his partner set out to deliver horses to a US Army post near the New Mexico border. But when they meet a fellow Texan being troubled by a ruthless land-grabber, their thoughts of returning home are put aside. From the timberline of Condor Pass, Bruno Ogden is defiling the ranchland of Hog Flats to such an extent that grazing livestock becomes impossible. Furthermore, in nearby White Mesa, a few influential townsfolk are also involved in a dramatic scheme to drive ranchers off their land, and that includes Mollie Broad and her waterless ranch. When unnecessary and cowardly killings take place, Will suddenly finds himself involved. With his tough old partner and a couple of loyal Bluestem workers, he attempts to turn the tables on Ogden and the spread of his Bolas company. But Will knows that mercenary gunfighters are more dangerous opponents than cowboys and hoe-men.
