Marshal Chris Madsen helps newly appointed Judge John Burford escort a wagon of untried prisoners to the town of Beaver Creek, in the heart of Oklahoma's lawless No Man's Land. The lawman and judge aim to establish the territory's first courthouse, but the citizens of Beaver City are used to taking justice into their own hands, and they are deeply suspicious of any official law and order. Madsen and Burford set up a makeshift courtroom inside a rowdy saloon and face down a vigilante posse bent on executing the prisoners before they get their day in court. Years later, gunfighter-turned-reporter Bat Masterson catches up with Judge Burford to find out how he survived the harrowing ordeal and won over the townsfolk.