Former slave George McJunkin becomes a trusted ranch foreman and eventually changes history. After a devastating storm sweeps through Folsom, New Mexico, McJunkin rides out to assess the damage on his ranch. In an eroded riverbank, he discovers the fossils of an ancient bison that have been unearthed by the floodwaters. While inspecting the massive bones, he also notices small flint points that look as if they have been made by human hands. As an amateur archeologist, McJunkin recognizes the importance of the site and sets out to find someone in the scientific community who will acknowledge his discovery. After McJunkin’s death, his close friend, Carl Schwachheim, travels to Dodge to share the story of the bison bones with gunfighter-turned- newspaperman Bat Masterson.