Ken Casey has a secret. His real name is Ded Axton, known as "Death's Acolyte" for his speed with a pistol. He's an ordained Episcopal priest who lost his way, and maybe his soul, during the Civil War. When Casey takes a job as a cook in the small, peaceful town of Wardell, Texas, Angus Pugh and his gang ride in and take the town hostage while they wait for a shipment of gold. Soon innocent blood is shed, and it becomes clear that only one person can save Wardell.