The story opens with a conflict between miners and the local power broker who wants their claims as his own. He has hired guns to intimidate the miners as they come into town, and the miners ask for help from God, just as the drifter (Clint Eastwood) rides in. He defends a miner with an ax handle, and surprises everyone when he appears in a preacher's attire for dinner. The conflict escalates when one of the miner finds a large gold nugget on his claim and goes to town and gets shot down by the hired guns. The Preacher goes to town and is confronted by the hired guns and the power broker. He demonstrates his skills with a gun and eliminates not only the hired guns, but the miners' adversary as well. Then its time for him to leave, and he rides out on his "Pale" horse, the Apaloosa.