A naive youth named Jack embarks on a grand adventure to save his sister Lula, who has been abducted by the ruthless murderer Cut Throat Bill and his crew. To aid in her rescue, Jack teams up with Reginald Jones, a shrewd bounty hunter, along with a grave-digging, alcoholic son of a former slave, and a savvy streetwalker. Together, they pursue Cut Throat Bill into the perilous and lawless territory called The Big Thicket, a realm dominated by violence and disorder.