When a suspicious stranger shows up unannounced at camp, Jim Bridger distracts him with one of his tall tales while a friend runs to fetch the Sheriff. Suspecting the stranger is a known gold thief, Bridger shares the story of the time he and his fellow trappers discovered El Dorado, the famous Spanish city of gold. As the tale goes, Bridger and two companions are trapping in the Utah Territory when they are suddenly attacked by Ute warriors. After they manage to drive the Utes away, they realize they've stumbled upon a river full of gold, streaming from a distant mountain they believe to be El Dorado. They fill their pockets with gold, but for some of the men it isn't enough. One man is killed, and another takes off for the mountain of gold, where a more gruesome fate awaits. Back at camp, the stranger tries to force Bridger to reveal the location of El Dorado, but Bridger disarms him just as the sheriff arrives.