The year is 1943. The place is the Gros Ventre river valley of central Montana. Andy Yarnell spent the first 14 years of his life here and then, with the death of his father, he and his mother became "town people." But now, at the age of 22 he is back, living amongst the people he knew as a kid except now, he is the county's deputy sheriff. There are those who think he's too young for the job. At times, Andy wonders if they aren't right. It is a position that has put him in the middle of every controversy in the valley, some of which are common knowledge, and some that aren't. Being a lawman was what he'd always dreamed of becoming, but now he is finding out who he really was. Time will tell if he's up to the job.