Retiring Sheriff Horne goes after the Sawyer brothers who have robbed a bank in town. The outlaw brothers count on the fact they grew up together with Horne and hope to get a break from him. However, during a shootout at a farm in the hills, Horne kills one of the brothers and captures the other, Reese. After they accidentally lose their horses during a scuffle, they travel on foot toward the stagecoach depot. All this time, Reese is taunting Horne and warns him that his father, Ross Sawyer, will soon rescue him. Indeed, Ross Sawyer goes after the sheriff to rescue his remaining son. Anticipating such a move, the town's mayor and the judge hire a paid gunfighter in need of money to kill Ross Sawyer on sight. The sheriff and his prisoner take the stagecoach to the stagecoach depot. The depot is run by the Parkers who are in debt and risk losing their business. Therefore, they are receptive to the secret financial deal offered by the prisoner and promise to help him escape the sheriff's custody. Arriving at the depot are deputized gunfighter Sam Swope on the lookout for Ross Sawyer and Leah Parker, the eldest daughter of the Parkers. Leah Parker claims to have worked as a teacher in the East but she hides an embarrassing truth. The sheriff plans to spend the night at the depot until the morning when the next stage to town is scheduled. But first, he has to make it through the night knowing that Reese will try to escape and his father could soon arrive to free his captured son.