Medicine Bow storekeeper, Benjy Davis (Quinn Redeker), a friend of the Virginian, is sentenced to death for murdering Hobey Kendall (Robert Karnes), a man who sexually assaulted his wife. However, Benjy says he had met a man near the murdered man's home named Jonah McIntosh (John Cassavettes) and the Virginian traces that man to a colony of mountain men near Wind River. Jonah admits he killed Kendall in self-defence but will not return to clear Benjy. The Virginian takes Jonah a prisoner but has a difficult time getting Jonah back to Medicine Bow due to the pursuing mountain men and an encounter with a murderous trapper (Dub Taylor). He manages to accomplish his task thanks to the help of a beautiful young Shoshone widow, Hapamawa (Pilar Seurat) and to a growing respect and trust between himself and Jonah.
