Kurt Davos is badly injured while trying to save Florence Hastings, who is trapped in a runaway wagon. Florence, who sometime earlier had tried to kill the man's dog, volunteers to live with and care for Kurt, now paralyzed and unable to speak. Kurt, who used to be active and quick to help others, is now angry and sullen, and Florence has a tough time dealing with him and his dog.
On his way to Fort David, wagon scout Duke Shannon rescues Sgt. Johnny Masters, a man caught between two worlds. The world of his ancestors the Cherokee, and the world of his loyalty, the U.S. Army.
Bill Hawks travels to a desert town to visit an old friend, an Indian who has a ranch there. However, upon arriving on his friend's property, he discovers that it is under the control of the local townspeople, who are drilling for water, and that his friend is nowhere to be seen. The townspeople are unwilling to give him any information, and in fact display outright hostility to him, leading Hawks to suspect that his friend may be in danger or even dead.