Tom Carter, his wife and his son Billy, live quietly on the family farm until a dispute arises between him and his rich neighbour John Price who organizes a punitive expedition against Carter. Billy is sent to Littleton by his father and when he returns he finds the house burnt down, his father killed and his mother injured. The cautious sheriff prefers to conclude to an accident despite Billy's insistance. So Billy decides to take the law into his own hands...