A miner tricks Paladin into taking his son for a month as the stakes in a poker game. However, he has second thoughts when he learns that Paladin plans to give the boy a bath... and an education.

An old miner, Boise Peabody, is diagnosed for death, and decides to make a mark for himself by challenging the mine camp bully to a shootout. Boise wins but asks Paladin to protect him when the dead man's brother comes looking for revenge.