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In Beauville, Texas the Virginian completes the sale of horses to government agent Fallon for $10,000. Fallon only has cash so the Virginian is forced to take it but just before boarding the stage he goes to the express office to have the money wired to Medicine Bow. Just after he gets a receipt for the money two men hold up the office and steal the funds. The Sheriff (John Pickard) and Express Agent (Joseph Mell) think he is involved in the robbery as a quick way to double his money. He is cleared by Fallon but the Sheriff is still suspicious it was an inside job and also, that it might be connected to a series of other robberies in the area. The stage is delayed waiting for the Virginian, much to its driver's (Frank McGrath) chagrin. On board the Virginian meets two other passengers, the beautiful Linda Vallance (Diane Baker) and apparent gambler Whitey Luder (Bill Fletcher). Arriving at the next town where they are to stop over for the night, the Virginian asks Linda to dinner. The two are watched closely by Whitey and two other men, Kern (Don Stewart) and Landegger (Brett King) who discuss the Virginian as a "complication." Linda reveals she is taking a package to San Gordo for a man, that she opened it and it contained $50,000, and that she is frightened. The Virginian tells her to take it to the law.

They reboard the stage the next morning. In San Gordo their arrival is watched by the local Sheriff, Ferguson (John Milford) who seems to recognize Whitey. The Virginian and Linda again have dinner and are watched not only by Whitey and the Sheriff but by two other men, the bar owner, Big Ben Albright (Clifton James) and his asscoiate, obvious gunman Ed Barney (Rex Holman). Romance seems to blossom between the Virginian and Linda. She hints they should take the $50,000 and run off together but he balks at this prospect. After she leaves, Big Ben hints to the Virginian that he should leave her alone. Returning to her room, Linda finds it ransacked, the money gone, and Ed Barney waiting for her. He claims that he did not take the money but that he is the man she was supposed to deliver it to and that she better find it.

Linda returns to the bar and tells the Virginian the money is gone. She leaves again and Big Ben, figuring the Virginian has the money, tells him he better not leave town. The Virginian returns to the hotel and finds Linda gone. In his room he is attacked and beat up by Ed Barney and two other men who repeat Big Ben's warning about leaving town. The Virginian returns to the bar and accosts Big Ben at gun point telling him he is not leaving town until he finds Linda and Ed Barney. Big Ben sends Barney and his two men to kill the Virginian. However, the Virginian kills Barney and one of the men, and the third is shot by Kern and Landegger who have been watching. They reveal that they are US Marshalls and tell him to visit Sheriff Ferguson. From Ferguson, the Virginian learns the $50,000 is from a series of robberies prior to that at the express office, that Whitey is also a Marshall, and that Linda is in a jail cell for safekeeping. The Virginian thinks he can get the money through Linda. The Sheriff promises to keep Big Ben and his men at bay for two hours and holds them in the bar.

The Virginian takes Linda to the livery stable where the driver lets them meet in the stage. They kiss and he reveals that he knows Fallon gave the money to Linda and that he had arranged a cash payment for the horses so it too could be stolen. She reveals she was supposed to take the money to Fallon at a shack by the edge of town and get a share for herself and she suspects Fallon himself took the money from her room. Linda meets Fallon at the shack and tells him she did not like being a patsy. The Virginian comes in and gets the drop on Fallon and he tries to bribe him. They get in a struggle and Linda gets the gun and kills Fallon even though it was clear to the Virginian that he had the upper hand and there was no need to kill him. Linda grabs the money and tries to get the Virginian to go with her even though she is holding the gun on him. He refuses but before she can leave Whitey Luder arrives and arrests her. Whitey says goodbye to the Virginian and tells him there may be a reward for the recovery of the money. The Virginian says good, get Linda a lawyer with it, and heads off on the stage. Add a recap »