Having escaped from a firing squad at the hands of the Mexican federales, Blue Creek Ben Chisum flees across the border into Texas. He is soon cast afoot when his horse breaks a leg. After wandering alone for a week he stumbles across a hanging and rescues a homesteader from ruthless vigilantes. The grateful man then offers him a half share in his prosperous farming business. But Ben is loath to become involved in a range war. He only accepts the offer after learning that his old partner, Squint Rizzo, has been hired by Web Steiger, the leader of the vigilantes. It was Rizzo who betrayed him to the Mexican authorities. But how can one man defeat a ruthless gang of land grabbers? With the help of an old pal and a ham-fisted brawler, Blue Creek sets out to prove that his reputation for fighting on the side of justice has been well earned.