A blizzard swept out of the north and beat across the plains. The howling wind drove great gusts of snow across widow Cary's small ranch house, and lashed the faces of the four troopers who reined up in front of the house. They're looking for a deserter, but they're unsure whether he would go straight home first. It's a frightful night to be riding, and the widow answers the door and welcomes the soldiers into her home.