Ferg is a drifter during the great depression, riding the rails from place to place, seeking work. When another drifter named Henry is killed, and with his dying breath entrusts Ferg with a special heirloom watch, Ferg finds himself on a collision course with destiny. Amid plummeting corn prices that leave Henry's family nearly destitute, Ferg finds his skills as a mechanic and all around handyman are invaluable. But murder tests his honor, a rival tests his affection, and he discovers what it means to be a man.