A quiet, reserved white man named John Russell has been raised by the Apaches since childhood and lives as one of them. Due to circumstances beyond his control, he is forced to sell the boarding house he inherits and plans to use the money to return to the Apache life. To do so, he travels on a stagecoach with a motley group of passengers, each with their own prejudices and secrets. The group includes a doctor and his dissatisfied wife, an embittered Indian agent, a young woman, and a disreputable man named Grimes.

The journey turns perilous when the stagecoach is held up by bandits, led by Grimes, revealing that not all is as it seems among the passengers. The group is stranded in the harsh desert, facing threats from both the environment and Grimes's gang. Though initially scorned by the others for his Apache ways, Russell's skills and principles soon become essential for their survival. As tensions mount and survival instincts kick in, the true natures of each passenger are revealed, leading to a climactic confrontation that tests the limits of morality and justice.