Rusty Sabin, born to white parents, was brought up by the Cheyenne Indians who had given the young red-headed boy the name Red Hawk. His ability to heal the sick and make strange magic were widely honored throughout the tribe. But in his twenties, Red Hawk set out to take his place among white people. When Rusty and his stallion named White Horse were nearly at the frontier post of Fort Marsden, the river boat he was riding in was grounded, and a man called Bill Tenney comes to his rescue. Rusty doesn't know much about the white man's ways—especially a white man like Bill Tenney, a thief and a fugitive. Tenney is only interested in one thing—Rusty's white stallion, considered sacred among the Cheyennes. Meanwhile, Major Marsden, who considers Rusty little more than a savage himself, is determined to come between Rusty and his sweetheart, Maisery—and the Cheyennes do all they can to compel Rusty to return to his tribe.
