An entire town is afraid of a man called Stragg, a wealthy and ruthless saloon owner who employs hired guns and has cheated many of the citizens out of their money and land. The only man who stands up to Stragg is the popular sheriff, Ward Young, but no one, including Ward's son, deputy Faron, is willing to side with him against the powerful Stragg.
When a law is changed that will strip Ward of his authority within 48 hours, he becomes determined to put Stragg behind bars as his last act. He seeks out Burt Miller, brother of a man Stragg has had murdered. On a stagecoach ride with Miller, his witness, accompanied by Doc Carter's beautiful daughter, Becky, another passenger listens to their conversation. He is a gunslinger named Snipe Harding, who has been hired by Stragg to kill the sheriff and the witness.
Snipe recognizes that killing Ward will be difficult, knowing him to be a fast draw. After he kills Miller, he persuades Stragg to challenge the sheriff to a showdown in front of everyone in town. When the men draw, Snipe shoots the sheriff from a hiding place. Doc Carter and others can only conclude that Ward was shot in a fair fight.
Faron, however, is suspicious, and Doc's examination proves that the sheriff was shot with a rifle, not a pistol. He goes gunning for Snipe, killing him, and the townspeople come to his aid when Stragg attempts to flee.
