Delray Corbett hires Jack Sawyer--a tough rancher with a secret past--to protect his deaf-mute daughter, Anna, and her son from escaped convict Carl Herbold and his brother, Cecil. The Herbolds are bent on revenge against Corbett for having helped put Carl away. Well aware of the grave danger Anna is in, Jack does all he can to ensure her safety, but he falls in love along the way, and struggles to keep his dark past a secret.