In a small Texas border town, Sheriff John T. Chance finds himself in a dangerous predicament when he arrests Joe Burdette, the brother of a powerful local rancher, Nathan Burdette, for murder. With Joe locked up in his jailhouse, Chance realizes that the Burdette gang won't take the arrest lightly. They plan to break Joe out before he can stand trial. Chance understands he'll need help to hold off the would-be rescuers, but his options for deputies are limited in the small town.

Chance enlists the aid of a few unlikely companions: Dude, a once-deputized gunslinger who's now a recovering drunk; Stumpy, a cantankerous old deputy who's reliable despite his age and crippled leg; and Colorado Ryan, a young gunfighter who's quick on the draw. As the Burdette men gather in force and encroach upon the town, the makeshift law enforcement team prepares for a siege, knowing that they're outnumbered and outgunned. The high stakes and escalating tension are heightened when a wandering cardsharp and a beautiful young woman with a complicated relationship to the conflict become involved. With the odds against them, they must work together to uphold justice against the looming threat.