When Elijah Briant is elected sheriff of Sonora, Texas, the mild-mannered druggist and former teacher tries to enforce the law without carrying a weapon. Ignoring the advice of his deputies, Briant attempts to peacefully foil a bank robbery, and he gets a bullet for his trouble. Before he can recover from his wound, he faces an even greater threat. Will Carver, one of the last surviving members of the notorious Wild Bunch gang, enlists his friend, George Kilpatrick, to raid Sonora. Assuming the kindly sheriff will pose no problem, they head to town to take all they can. When Briant learns that the two deadly outlaws are on the way, he must choose between sticking to his peaceful ways or taking up arms to defend all he holds dear. Years later, Briant's deputy tracks down gunfighter-turned-newspaperman Bat Masterson to share the story of the heroic small-town sheriff.