Ben Hawkins heard that a ranch in west Texas might be hiring, so he and his friends Johnny and Billy rode there together. Neal Pierce's Rocking M has openings, and Johnny hires on, though they seem to be more interested in a man's skills as a fighter than as a cowboy. The range is being overgrazed, and Pierce's neighboring rancher Beth Alison has begun stringing barbed wire. Billy goes to work for Beth Alison, but Ben wants no part of either side. Soon the fighting begins between the Rocking M and the Reverse Box E. Ben and his friends are drawn into a fight that will test the boundaries of their friendship, their instincts for survival, and each man's loyalty to the brand. --