The year is 1870, and former Union soldier Tom Jeffords (James Stewart is recruited to remove a tribe of Apache warriors from a U.S. Mail delivery route by any means necessary. Jeffords chooses peace instead of more killings and decides to learn the Apache way of life. He agrees to a peace treaty with Apache chief Cochise (Jeff Chandler) and marries a beautiful Native American woman (Debra Paget). Tragedy strikes after the settlers break the peace treaty, but now it's Cochise trying to stop Jeffords from acting out in vengeance.