 Edward Beale (Rod Cameron)is in charge of finding a shorter trail across the American desert and to also test the practicality of using camels in the west in this 3-D western. (An actual test once conducted in the Big Bend area of Texas.) Clint MacDoanld (John Ireland), a bank robber one jump ahead of a posse, joins the caravan by posing as a doctor. His sweetheart, Lilly (Joanne Dru), also comes along and signs on. There is a whole lot of footage of the grueling trek across the desert, but it begins to move when mule-skinner Matt Carroll (John Dehner) becomes aware of MacDonald s true profession and he wants the gold from the bank robbery. The Apaches have shied away from attacking the train, because of their fear of the camels, but a camel dies and the jig is up as they lose their fear and here they come.