The Montague family moved west with a small wagon train from Tennessee after the Civil War. After his family is massacred and his younger brother was captured by Comanches, John Montague is raised by a man on the frontier. He learns hunting, tracking, and self-defense skills. He becomes proficient with weapons. He moves farther west always accompanied by his black stallion and faithful dog, where he works as an army scout, which changes his vengeful attitude about Indians. He gets a job as a deputy sheriff and tracks down a vicious killer. He finally works as a cowboy on a large Texas ranch where, as a trail boss, he leads a cattle drive from Texas to Dodge City facing weather, rustlers, killers, and gunfighters. Over the years, he runs into his brother a couple of times. The brother is now a Comanche warrior with a hatred for Whites. John tries desperately to restore their relationship. At the ranch, he also meets the love of his life.