When Lee Thompson is making the long journey from Texas to Montana to see his aging father, he gets wind of the fact that the old man, one Sheriff Diehard Thompson, is losing control over Wolf River's town troublemakers. So, Lee decides to step in.
Lee's choice is a tough one, as the rule of law and his father's reputation hang in the balance. Since Diehard hasn't seen Lee in fifteen year's, Lee's not entirely surprised when his father doesn't recognize him. But more trouble awaits; it seems every frontier criminal has heard the same rumor of how easy the town is for outlaws, and nobody's seen the sheriff draw in three years. Now they're all on their way.