Pursuing the bandits who killed a friend of theirs, Cheyenne and Smitty find that the gang has taken over an entire town and only the local padre has the courage to stand against them.

Cheyenne is driving a herd of horses across land he thought was open range. The owner, Martin Storm, roughs him up and steals them. He gets help from a local rancher who has been trying to rid the valley of this menace since he got there.

Cheyenne's friend falls for a rancher's pretty daughter, but the rancher prefers Cheyenne as his son-in-law.

A stubborn cavalry captain ignores Cheyenne's advice---and leads his patrol into certain slaughter.