It's cattle season - and for more than a thousand punchers, the bright lights, whiskey, and willing women of Dodge will make up for months of straddling half-broke ponies and driving herds across storm-swept plains. But for Marshal Matt Dillon, this season means trouble.

Five years ago, Cage Stucker cut loose with a bullwhip and gave young Sean Tyree a beating. Now, while Cage and his father are in town to sell their herd, Tyree is there to settle a score. Sean Tyree's gambling years paid off big. Armed only with money, he has a special kind of vengeance in mind. While Dodge may be hard enough to withstand the showdown, Dillon has not lived this long by charging headlong into trouble. He'd rather see Cage sell quick, head back to Texas, and let this not so sleepy town get some rest...