Twin sisters Judith (Carol Lynley) and Susan (Shirley Knight) Morrow, who are the daughters of a deceased friend of Judge Garth, come to Medicine Bow where Susan is to start a pottery. Also arriving on the same train is a sailor, Kevin Doyle (Tom Tryon) who wants to settle down and become a farmer. While Susan is more reserved and practical, Judith dreams of seeing exotic places and is captivated by Kevin's stories of travel to faraway lands. They begin seeing each other but Judith seems to act strangely. Kevin finds himself so in love with Judith that he agrees to give up his dreams of settling down and take her to the places she has always wanted to see...but her problems are such that this will never come to be.

Steve Hill befriends a dishevelled deaf mute named Judd (Clu Gulager) and convinces the Virginian to gives him a job at Shiloh ranch. Judd is accussed of murdering a gambler, runs off and is befriended by spinster farm owner Ruth Ferris (Gail Kobe). Steve Hill manages to track down Judd, tells him to give himself up and then sets off after the real perpetrators. The murderers try to kill Steve but he is saved by the arrival of Judd who then returns to the waiting Ruth with whom he has fallen in love.

A beautiful woman, Alva Lowell (Diana Millay), arrives in Medicine Bow having just bought the Lazy K Ranch and manages to hire a reluctant Steve Hill to be her foreman. A former business partner of Alva's, Jess Carver (Peter Breck), arrives and is killed by Steve, apparently in self-defence. However, Steve is arrested and must go to trial defended by Judge Garth's friend, lawyer Ebberly Packis (Paul Fix).