John Wayne and George Kennedy star in this action-packed Western and gripping family drama.

His wife having passed away, United States Marshal, J.D. Cahill throws himself into his work, often neglecting his young sons, 17-year-old Danny and 11-year-old Billy.

Feeling rejected and desperate for their father’s attention, Danny and, by default, Billy fall in with a band of outlaws. Abe Fraser, the gang leader, convinces the boys he has a foolproof plan to pull off a big bank robbery, and no one will get hurt.

The actual heist goes off without a hitch, as Fraser promised, however, in the process, the sheriff and deputy are killed. Fraser gets Billy to hide the loot, and threatens the boys not to talk.

Now, Marshal Cahill comes home, and every criminal knows he is not the lawman you’d ever want tracking you down. Hearing about the robbery and the killings as a result of its committal, he makes it his business to bring the thieves to justice, unaware that his own two sons were involved.

When several men carrying an unusually large amount of cash are captured, convicted and sentenced to hang for the crime, Cahill suspects they are innocent. Now, Danny and Billy have a crisis of conscience, and Danny sets out to help his dad bring the real outlaws to justice, putting all their lives at risk.