The mayor of wild and woolly mining town Panamint, is in San Francisco to fetch a preacher for the new church, and happens upon young Philip Pharo, as handy with his fists as with a sermon. Upon his arrival, it appears to Philip that some of the town's bad folks are better than the superior element. When he sets out to improve the lives of the miners and bring flagrant sinners into his flock, the godly folk are of course outraged. What form will their retribution take?