Lowell Bishop returns to Calf's Head, the mining town he considers home, and to the old man, a father figure to Lowell. He is ready to give up bounty hunting for good, settle in and help the old man run the Calf's Head saloon, and take a bride when the time comes. The money from his last job would give him enough to fix up the saloon, build a house to raise a family, and pay for travel so his aunt back east can come west where he could take better care of her.He's not in town five minutes, when a scuffle breaks out in the saloon. Lowell wants no trouble. It wasn't his fight until one of the men involved murders the old man, and Lowell learns that a half a million dollars in gold has been stolen. With the old man's last few breaths, he makes Lowell promise to deliver a letter to a woman, name Rebecca, and his finial wish was for Lowell get the kid, a young man, carrying a six shooter and riding with the gang who had shot the old man, away from the trouble he'd gotten himself into. Lowell gave his word, and rides out of town on the trial of the old man's killer. If he can he'll capture him and turn him over to the law, but he knowns the Null gang won't be taken alive. It will come down to shooting and, for the old man, Lowell would not shoot at the kid if he could help it. Their first meeting brings a surprise. The kid puts himself between Lowell and a bullet. He finds out that the kid is actually a traitor working for Rebecca, and against the gang he is riding with, and that his name his Donovan Bishop.When Lowell figures out that Donovan is his brother, that changes everything. He is no longer just trying to rip the kid away from a life of crime. He begins to show him how to be a man, one that can respect himself, and that means leaving the gang, putting a target on Donovan's back. Lowell is challenged with trying to protect both his brother and Rebecca, and recruits the help of two buffalo skinners. The Null gang won't give up, believing that the alliance between Rebecca and Donovan can mean only one thing, that they have the gold. And it's not just the Null gang who are after the gold, others want it as well. Lowell begins to question friendships, who he can trust.Lowell accidentally finds the gold. His brother is captured by the Nulls, and is left to die. After finding him Lowell becomes blood hungry, then talks himself down. The gold his well hidden. His priority is to relocate his brother and Rebecca somewhere safer. They travel back to Calf's Head with the buffalo skinners, while Lowell stays behind to throw the Null gang off the scent of the others. While doing so he interacts with one of the gang, Gomer Null, but he doesn't recognize until later that for different reasons the two of them are working toward the same goal. If Lowell can take down the head of the gang, the rest of the clan will fall. Upon returning to Calf's Head, Lowell is relieved to find out that his brother has survived everything so far, but it's not safe for him there either. The entire Null gang would soon have them surrounded, and his brother too sick to move a second time. Gomer shows up first, and Lowell learns that the man wants a different way of life for the Null family clan. Lowell always puts family first so he understands that thinking. Together they hide his brother and Rebecca before the big showdown. Gomer his counting on Lowell to kill the head of the family so he can then take over. Lowell doesn't see any other way. When the smoke clears he is still alive. The miners get their half a million in gold returned to them. Gomer and Lowell agree that under other circumstance, they might have been friends. And his brother is awake and asking to see him. He can now start a life in Calf's Head, running the saloon with his brother.