Connie, the daughter of cattle rancher Ben Dickason, wants to marry sheep rancher Walt Shipley, even though her father has always hoped she would marry Frank Ivey, a wealthy cattle baron. As Walt prepares to bring sheep onto his modest Circle 66 ranch, the ruthless, ambitious Ivey runs him out of town in order to keep the valley grasses solely for cattle. Walt, too scared to stand up to Ivey, leaves Connie a note calling off their engagement and willing her his ranch. Determined to fight Ivey, Connie hires young widower Dave Nash as her ramrod. While Dave, who is a drinker, is out recruiting ranch hands, Ivey's men burn Connie's ranch to the ground. With the help of Bill Schell, a fun-loving drifter, Dave hijacks a stone bunkhouse built in free range from Ivey's ramrod, Ed Burma, and Connie files a claim on the land. Ivey retaliates by ordering cowboy Virg Lea to pummel the face of Curley, one of Connie's new recruits. Connie brings Curley, blinded and bloodied, to town to be nursed by dressmaker Rose Leland, who is in love with Dave. Although Dave, who is a good friend of Sheriff Jim Crew, insists that Connie's war with Ivey be fought legally, Bill shoots Burma in cold blood in order to avenge Curley's beating. Bill pleads self-defense with the sheriff, but no one really believes Burma drew first. Impressed with Bill's willingness to take action against Ivey, Connie coyly convinces him to stampede her herd so that Dave and Jim will blame Ivey, then kisses him. After the sheriff hears about the stampede, he bravely goes alone to arrest Ivey. Ivey denies the charges and shoots Jim dead, then blames Virg for the killing. Later, Link Thomas, a Dickason ranch hand, loyally informs Connie that her own men stampeded her herd, and she confesses that she gave the order. Meanwhile, Dave finally decides to take the law into his own hands and shoots Virg. As Virg dies, he tells Dave that Ivey shot Jim. A shootout follows with another of Ivey's men, and Dave is wounded in the shoulder. A weakened Dave goes to Rose for help, and she tells him that Curley died that afternoon. Later Ivey arrives in town in pursuit of Dave and Bill, whom he has since learned had the first draw when Burma was killed. Although Bill moves Dave to a secluded mine, Connie, who has fallen in love with Dave, locates him, but inadvertently leaves a trail for Ivey. As Ivey's men approach, Bill offers to be the bait and sends Dave off on Connie's horse. Before they part, Bill confesses to Connie and Dave that he killed Burma, but Connie refrains from admitting to Dave that she ordered the stampede. Bill, forced to spend the night hiding in the rocky hills above the mine, is finally shot in the back by Ivey. By daylight, Dave reaches Ben's ranch and and learns how Bill died. Worried that Connie will blame him for Bill's death, Link reveals to Dave the truth about the stampede. The next day at dawn, Dave shoots Ivey in a gunfight. Although Connie rushes out to congratulate Dave and pleads with him to join her at the ranch, he tells her a life alone is what she deserves, then goes to Rose's. Rose greets him in a dress she made from silk he brought her, and he asks if it might do as a wedding dress.