Gary Cooper stars as an intrepid Army scout battling Seminole Indians in 1840s Florida. Reclusive military man Captain Quincy Wyatt comes out of his self-imposed exile to perform a dangerous raid on a Seminole stronghold. After destroying the Indians' weapons arsenal and releasing their white captives, Wyatt and the freed prisoners must make the arduous journey back to safety through the Florida Everglades. In the midst of dodging murderous Seminoles, alligators and other swamp vermin, love blossoms between the old scout and a fetching young ex-prisoner.