for ten years carl jessup has searched for the men who raped and killed his wife. his wife was only ninteen years old and they had only been married for a year when thirteen drunken cowboys who worked for a powerful rancher pulled her down from her buggy. They dragged her into the woods and took turns raping and beating her. when they were through they shot her and left her for dead. but his wife didn't die right away, she lived long enough to tell him who the men were. over the years he has tracked the men and killed them where he found them. his gun has ten notches on it and when he comes to the small town of benson falls he learns his search for vengence might soon be over. Soon he will carve three more notches into the handle of his colt and end his search for revenge.