Famous bandit and womanizer Ben Wade (Glenn Ford), after robbing another stagecoach, gets delayed in a saloon because of a woman and falls into a simple trap. This is a problem not only for him, but also for the law enforcement officers themselves: Wade’s loyal men are prowling nearby and will certainly try to rescue their leader, and the nearest reliable prison is in Yuma, dozens of miles from the town. Farmer Dan Evans (Wan Heflin), who is accidentally drawn into the mess, agrees to help deliver Wade to the station and put him on the three o’clock train to Yuma for two hundred dollars: Evans desperately needs to pay off his debts.