On his dying bed, "HonestJohn" Hallett, a respected cattleman who, unknown to others, built his cattle empire off the proceeds of rustled cattle, gives a branded sombrero to his sons, Starr and Lane. He tells them the brands are of the ranches he rustled cattle from, and gets his sons to pledge to go back and repay the ranchers he stole from. One keeps the vow, and the other one doesn't.