Tennessee Matthews, a trader, runs a post on the North Platte River at Fort Laramie, Wyoming, where Jed Hawkins and his daughter Virginia wait for an escort to California. Widow Melindy Spriggs joins the wagon train, seeking to marry Hawkins, but is deterred by his drinking habits. The train hires Squaw O'Hara, a scout with a reputation for leading wagon trains into traps, who has a romantic interest in Lola, a beautiful Indian girl. Both Matthews and O'Hara fall for Virginia, but she prefers Matthews, who sends her a rose. O'Hara becomes jealous and beats up Lola, leading Matthews to intervene and comfort her. Virginia mistakenly thinks Matthews is two-timing her and begins to encourage O'Hara. As the group sets out for California, O'Hara leads them into an ambush, but Matthews has a plan to outsmart him.
The Forty-Niners
Tennessee Mathews is suspicious of O'Hara's motives as he leads a wagon train off the trail, setting them up for an ambush by his supposed Indian allies.
