Harry's married to Marian and things are not going all that well, so he wants out but somehow feels that a divorce is not the answer. After developing a winning blackjack system, he hatches a plan that takes years of preparation: to fake his death, assume a new identity and win $500,000 at blackjack.

Zeb Macahan, a pioneering westerner, helps move his brother's family to the wild west. They run into several obstacles including the breakout of the Civil War. This sends the father back to fight in the war and leaves the family to move on ahead.

This Western adventure, inspired by Kenny Rogers' hit song, tells how fictional gambler Brady Hawkes, going in search of a young son he never knew he had, teams up with an impetuous young admirer and a shady lady on his journey, which also involves him with an arrogant railroad owner and a gang of villains.