Rowdy sergeant Jefferson Harder (John Payne) has a bad habit of misconduct that has held him back in his military career, but he's given a chance to advance to captain if he can figure out whatever is going on in Laramie which is preventing the railroad from finishing it's line connecting the East and West. Upon arrival, Payne quickly finds out the worst kept secret in town - that his old buddy and current saloon owner, Jim Shanessy (Dan Duryea), is behind the delays as he rather enjoys the extra business provided by the railroad workers. Nobody is ever able to prove Shanessy and his henchmen (Myron Healey and Lee Van Cleef) are involved, but it's pretty much an open secret. The town leaders, while happy about support from the Army, are disappointed from the start that they have only sent one man to do the job and grow increasingly critical of the heavy-handed tactics employed by Payne to clean up the town. Between thumping the villains' skulls and getting the railroad back on track, Payne barely has time to strike up a romantic relationship with dance hall owner and partner of Jim Shanessy, Lou Carter (Mari Blanchard). Very little melodrama to be found in this one as Payne spends most of his time eradicating the town's scofflaws.