After completing a cattle deal in the nearby city of Bartonville, Rod Cameron receives the shock of his life when he returns to his hometown. He finds it completely empty of all life! How could a town of a thousand inhabitants become deserted overnight, leaving half-consumed drinks and meals on the tables of the town's saloon? Desperately trying to solve the mystery he first tangles with bandits then finds himself branded an outlaw and a murderer. His future seems bleak indeed and only his strength and ingenuity will save him from the hangman's rope.