The wagon train finds a man, Joshua Gilliam, whipped and dying along the side of the trail. When they rescue him, Joshua soon befriends Greta Halstadt and claims that he's a schoolteacher... but keeps a dark secret.

Chief Red Hawk grants the train passage across his people's territory in return for them not killing any animals for supplies. But mountain man Jonas Murdock refuses to abide by the edict, putting everyone in danger.