Deke, a 17 year-old itinerant orphan from a boy's home, is arrested by the authorities after he stops Art Finney, a trainer for a wealthy California dog breeder, Andrew Garrett, from shooting "Rock", a renegade English setter and alleged animal killer. Garrett has Deke remanded to his custody and gives him a job assisting an uncooperative Finney and also working with Rock, whom Deke asserts can become a fine hunting dog. Finney and Garrett don't agree, but gradually come round to accept his belief in Rock.
