Mike Reno (Tab Hunter) demands back pay of $647 from his Uncle Joe Reno (Emile Meyer), who took the kid in after his father died but never gave him a dime for all his ranch work. In order to get the dough, the kid has to whip Uncle Joe in a fight. Mike heads into San Carlos and loses all his money gambling and then pulls a gun on the casino owner, but Sheriff Gid McCool comes along and arrests him. While Marshal Willett (Brian Donlevy) has to remain in town, the sheriff has to bring nasty child-murderer Hank Pleasant (Leo Gordon) to the Huntsville penitentiary and needs a deputy for assistance. This prompts him to take a chance on hiring the rowdy Mike, as he fondly remembers the kid’s father. They use a specially built wagon to transport the prisoner and along the way pick up three other prisoners– petty thief Angel, crooked politician R.C. Crawford and dancehall murderer Laura Mannon (Yvonne De Carlo). Aaron (John Russell) vows to free his brother Hank, and with five other gang members attack the wagon. Laura had flirted with Mike and convinced him to free her, but couldn’t shoot Gid when she had the chance. Gid places Mike in the wagon with the other prisoners, but when the gang threatens to kill the sheriff she pleads with Mike to help him–mentioning that Gid and her were former lovers and she still loves him. Mike proves he’s grownup by helping Gid repulse the gang.