Just arriving at their newly bought land, Kent Taggart, Tony Young, and his family are brutalized when Ben Blazer, Emile Meyer, and his son stampede the cattle and murder them. Blazer is seriously wounded in the skirmish, and in a later fair gunfight, Kent retaliates by killing Blazer’s son. With his last breath, Blazer sends three gunfighters to track down Kent: Tom Reese as Vince August, David Carradine as Cal Dodge, and Dan Duryea as Jay Jason, a particularly talkative and vicious killer.
In his escape, Taggart heads toward territory under Apache control, pursued by the gunfighters. In a semi-abandoned town, Taggart helps a woman in trouble at a saloon and earns the aid of her and the bartender. Caught by the gunfighters, he manages to kill Cal and flee. Later, he encounters a couple who are fighting with Apaches. Taggart joins them, and the gunfighters join as well. Vince is wounded, and Jay disarms Taggart; the couple helps him escape.
With no horse or gun, Taggart hides in a rocky hill, where he’s found by an old man, Adam Stark, William Henry, and his daughter Miriam, Jean Hale. They take him to their home, where there is another young woman, Consuela, Elsa Cárdenas. They treat him as a dangerous prisoner, but that night Consuela visits and makes clear advances, tempting Taggart with riches and happiness if he takes her away. Miriam interrupts the moment, and the two women have a tense exchange, though Miriam does not reveal Consuela’s actions to her father.
The next day, Taggart escapes but saves Stark’s life during an Apache attack. Stark’s view of him changes, and he reveals a reason they have not left: a gold mine on their property. Stark gathers gold rocks into bags and prepares to depart, just before the next Apache assault.
Meanwhile, Jay has killed Vince because he had become a hindrance, and he arrives alone at the Stark place. Taggart explains that he is a hired killer, while Jay says he is pursuing a murderer. The Starks decide to favor Taggart.
That night, Consuela again visits Jay, promising wealth and happiness if he takes her away. Jay agrees to help, but another Apache attack follows and Stark is wounded. Jay and Consuela escape with the gold, while the Starks head to a fort, with Taggart leading as a scout.
Jay and Consuela encounter a cavalry supply convoy and join it for protection. During the journey, Consuela tells Jay she wants to leave him; he attacks her, leaves her for dead, and seizes the gold, horses, and a chance to escape as the Apache close in on the wagon.
Jay reaches the fort and asks for reinforcements, but the commanding officer orders him to stay and fight. Taggart passes by with the Starks and arrives at the fort. Now Taggart, the Starks, and the soldiers must defend themselves against a fierce Apache attack while awaiting reinforcements, and Jay is frantically trying to escape with the gold before Taggart can catch him.
