The Duke leads a regiment of Kentucky riflemen through a French settlement, falls in love with a general's lovely daughter, and locks horns with a rival suitor who has a nefarious land-grabbing scheme up his sleeve. The courtship battle escalates into a full-scale frontier war.

A down on his luck screenwriter reluctantly agrees to adapt a trashy bestseller to the silver screen. Rather than read the book himself, Steele convinces a star-struck hatcheck girl, Mildred Atkinson, to accompany him home and tell him the story in her own words. Later the night, Mildred is found murdered and Steele who has a history of violent behavior becomes the prime suspect. A neighbor who is attracted to him lies to the police providing them...