The celebration of a peace treaty with the Indians is cut short for the Cannons by scalp hunters disguised as lawmen.

Nickanora, an old friend of Manolito and Victoria, admits he has come from Mexico with Johnny Ringo's gang to scalp Indians for profit. When the gang kills an Indian family, Mano goes after the group alone and is captured. John Cannon and the High Chaparral wranglers locate Manolito, but hesitate to start a gun fight, fearing an approaching Apache war party will be alerted by the shots.