Jim Boone's slave mother believed that when the Civil War was over they would be everyone's equal. He soon realizes the war made little difference. Fighting alcohol, he ventures to Idaho to find a new life. A refugee Indian teaches him injustice is everywhere and Jim must look inside himself for answers. Forced back into white society, he deals with a rough bunch of mining pioneers who come to respect him but not as he expected. He continues to drink only to discover it is his greatness adversary. A young stranger comes to the mining town and Jim develops a strong, paternal bond to the boy, but their lives are disrupted when a powerful bigot shows up forcing them to deal with injustice again. Unfortunately, the man's beautiful, lonely wife makes matters worse. Jim inadvertently becomes the sheriff and has to deal with the whole community's issues of oppression while trying to protect them from themselves.