Joaquin Murieta, a Mexican peasant, and his wife travel north to California in search of gold, encountering only one white person, a marshal, who becomes their friend. However, after Murieta is assaulted and robbed, and his wife is murdered by bandits, Murieta seeks vengeance by organizing an outlaw group that robs the countryside. Murieta is ultimately cornered by the marshal, who convinces him to abandon his crusade. However, when Murieta is subsequently wounded and convalescing, his gang begins a reign of terror without his knowledge, culminating in his murder at the hands of the marshal in a last battle.