Jerry Mason (John Wayne), fresh out of college back East, heads home to Texas to join a blacksmith business with family friend Jake (George Hayes). But when they discover a gold nugget in a horseshoe, they're led down a dangerous path, as crooks Joe Cole (Yakima Canutt) and Harris (Lloyd Whitlock) scheme to take the rock from the unsuspecting Jerry and Jake. This ultimately gets Jake shot and wounded, lands Jerry in jail unjustly and leaves the pair plotting to get revenge on the criminals.