An ambitious Tom Marsh, looking to expand his gold rush freight business, finds himself falsely accused of murdering a young girl and is tossed into the Sonoma, California hoosegow along with a Mexican hombre who is himself accused of a murder he did not commit, but who could well be the most infamous bandito in California, Joaquin Murrieta. Together the two break out of jail and now Tom must stick close to Joaquin and his gang while he fights to prove his innocence.