Vint and the boy Robby are fishing by the riverbank. Vint tells the boy that the gun is a tool and goes on to tell the story of his grandfather, Jebediah Bonner. Vint's parents have been killed and he is brought up by Dr. Ken Ludlow and his wife. Jebediah, a retired marshall, arrives on the stagecoach to visit with his grandson and is confronted in the saloon by Jim Kenyon who holds a grudge from 20 years ago when he believes that Jedediah had not given his father a fair chance when he had killed him. Joe is consumed by hatred and is determined to exact revenge. Young Vint sees and hears of his grandfather being bullied and doing nothing. Jebediah decides that he must gain respect in young Vint's eyes and an exciting conclusion is played out.

Bonner persuades Chief Tashuka to honour the treaty with the white man by handing over two braves who are suspected of robbery. Unfortunately for Bonner, the chief's daughter Running Fawn takes a shine to Bonner and follows him to town. By Indian law Bonner is to marry the girl and reluctantly agrees to prevent a war. However when Bonner sees how beautiful Running Fawn is he uses an Indian custom to lose her to a brave.

Vint Bonner arrives in the town of Toredo to be best man at his friend, Dave Regan's wedding. Vint soon discovers that Dave has been shot in the back and that the town, led by the new sheriff Ben Webster, are looking for his supposed killer, Vance Carter. It is left to Vint to find the truth and lay a trap for the real killer.

Bonner is sent for by Don Tomas Verdes, a Mexican ranch owner, to help him convince his son to stop riding with an outlaw gang. Bonner joins the outlaws to try and bring the boy to his senses.

After Jenny May McElroy's husband was killed in a gunfight, no one in town would give her a job to support her children, except for the saloon owner, who hired her as a bookkeeper. Because of this some of the "proper" townspeople want to take her children and make them wards of the state.