A drifter named Roman Gaines wanders into a tavern where he meets a man named Sean Cooper, who is on his way to the small town of Buffalo Gulch to become the new deputy. However, a band of criminals led by Tango arrive and start causing trouble and Cooper is fatally shot in the mayhem. After the villains ride off into the night, Cooper gives Gaines his badge and tells him to serve justice. Cooper dies and Gaines buries him in a shallow graves, promising to avenge him. He takes on Cooper's identity and heads into Buffalo Gulch.