Lawyer Josh Thorn believes in the law and justice. Even so, when he agrees to defend prostitute Rosa May Whitefield, he knows he jeopardizes his standing in the community. In 1880 the mining town of Bodie, California, averaged a killing a day, but Rosa May's crime broke all the rules when she killed one man and wounded two others because they beat and raped her. Powerful forces line up against Josh and the girl, and her fate appears sealed until two killers arrive looking for Josh. With the help of friends, Josh orchestrates a jail break. A vigilante posse tracks the fugitives into the High Sierras before events lead Josh back to Bodie for a final showdown.