 Jeff Curtis (Rod Cameron), a wagon-master on his way to accept the job of leading a pioneer train from Joplin, Missouri to the Oregon territory, picks up Ben Wilkins (Michael Chapin), a young boy who has run away from the train because train captain Cyrus Cook (Frank Ferguson) wouldn t allow him to take his dog on the trip. He meets Ben s sister, Ann (Peggy Castle), and this leads to a conflict with Cook s nephew, Clay (Henry Brandon), who has his own plans for Ann that does not include her kid brother and his dog. The trip west has a lot of problems, mostly Indian raids by a tribe who are buying rifles from two members of the wagon train. Which two? Rest assured it ain t the kid and his dog.