Carl Novak returned to the Texas hill country after fighting in the Civil War, but unlike most of his neighbours, Carl didn't fight for the Confederacy. He tries to resume his life as a farmer with his wife and three children. One day, when returning from an overnight trip to buy a calf, he finds his home burned to the ground and his wife and sons murdered. His young daughter escaped the slaughter by hiding in the fields. She is so traumatised that she refuses to speak. Carl has one clue: a group of strangers has just left town. Carl is determined to track them and exact his revenge.