A veteran lawman must escort a brutal and bloodthirsty bandit, Big Bill, back to the prison from which he escaped. On the way, the commissioner is wounded and only finds the assistance of Nick Sanders, a young homeless man with great skill with weapons. The lawman and Sanders establish a friendly relationship, and Sanders agrees to escort the bandit. However, the two protagonists are pursued by hostile forces: the prisoner's gang, and law enforcement officers, who are after Sanders on a murder charge. The meeting point is in a town where the local sheriff tries to fulfill his duty by hosting the prisoner while facing the pressures and fears of the townspeople.
