Will Penny, an aging cowpoke, takes a job on a ranch that entails patrolling the property boundaries in search of trespassers and squatters. Assigned to a remote mountain cabin, he is shocked to discover it has been claimed by a destitute woman and her young son. Abandoned by their guide on their journey to Oregon, the woman and child have sought refuge in the cabin. Overwhelmed by compassion, Penny decides against evicting them as the harsh winter descends upon the mountains. Instead, he begrudgingly allows them to stay, putting his own survival at risk.