During World War II, an outsider, Baston Morris (Weller), comes to a tiny town looking for work at the local mill. He meets up with the town's evil employer, Pink Gresham, (Smitrovich) who abuses the men and has affairs with the women. Pink toys with Baston's plight but keeps the upper hand with his pistol and chases Baston away. Baston then meets Pink's wife, Maggie (Baker), and spins a tale of her husbands philandering and Pink's personal involvement with Baston's affairs at his hometown in the next county. The subplot contains stories of Maggie's brother, Shep Sheppard, (Glover) who is a fundamentalist preacher that has followed his father's misogynistic ways. Sheppard sides with Pink when it comes to laying down the law, and a hunt ensues for Baston after stories are revealed of him being an axe murderer.