Duke's resemblance to gambler Jason Carter makes him the target for a murderer's bullet when he visits Jason Carter's hometown looking for supplies. Jason has been missing for five years and only one man knows the truth about him.

Duke quits the wagon train to take up a steady position as Deputy Indian Agent at San Marcos on an Apache reservation under Hiram Winthrop. Hiram is an Easterner with ideas of teaching the nomadic Apache to become farmers.