After escaping prison for killing three hunters, the Paiute pariah Shandunka returns to his native tribe, hoping to find some level of acceptance. He returns to a less-than warm welcome as most of the tribe still view him with contempt because of his half-white heritage. Kalutta the one tribe member who has tormented Shandunka for most of his life, continues to be just as aggravating for Shandunka. Chief Bending Oak decides that it is best that Shandunka accompany the boy Little Cub out in the woods to teach him to hunt. The old chief hopes that this will diffuse any brewing tensions with Shandunka and Kalutta.
During the hunting trip, Little Bear stumbles upon the hideout of Wedge Wilson and his gang of bank robbers. The outlaws chase down the little boy, and kill him to protect the location of their hideout. Shandunka tries to defend Little Cub but is eventually overpowered.
He returns to the tribe's camp and reports the tragic news. Compelled by his tribe's customs, the pariah Shandunka must track down the killers of Little Bear in a "Death Stalk." The practice demands that the killers of a tribe member must be put to death and scalped while 'counting coup'. Counting coup is the practice of touching an enemy's forehead, best done while he is dead, of course. Shandunka goes off to fulfill his grisly task, but he does not know that Kalutta followed him, and is determined to kill him whether he completes the Death Stalk, or not.