In 1871, professional gambler John Devlin elopes with Sandra"Sandy" Poli, daughter of Marko Poli, an immigrant who has risen to railroad tycoon. Sandy, realizing that the railroad must be expanded to Dakota, plans to utilize their nest egg to purchase property choices to market to the railroad at a profit. On the point visit to Ft. Abercrombie, their fellow passengers are Jim Bender and Bigtree Collins, who nearly have town of Fargo and Devlin is aware that they are ready to safeguard the little empire... trying to drive out the farmers by burning their land, ruining their wheat, and blaming the devastation on the Indians. Continuing their journey north on the lake aboard the"River Bird','' Sandy and John meet Captain Bounce, an irascible old seafarer. Two of Bendender's henchmen, Slagin and Carp, board the ship and relieve John of the $20,000 at gunpoint. Captain Bounce, pursuing the robber's dinghy. .