Cardelanche the son of an Indian chief returns from the East to find himself rejected by his own people He is made captain of the US army when he saves a detachment of cavalry from a group of renegade Indians and further removes himself from his race when he develops a relationship with Miriam the daughter of the Fort Remmington commandant Lieutenant Parkman Walker gets into a fight with Cardelanche when Parkman is demoted while General Custers troops are slaughtered by Cardelanches people Cardelanche decides that his true allegiance is to his own race and gives up Miriam to return to them