In 1887, a Texas teenager, Will Merritt, longs to own his own place, but his elder brother will inherit the family ranch, and good land is expensive to buy. Then, an old cowboy who is dying, tells him a tale of gold hidden during the Civil War and shows him a map where it is located. Will is eager to search for the gold and enlists the aid of his friend, Whitmore Garrett. The gold, however, is located in the Antelope Hills area of Indian Territory, present day, Oklahoma. Since it is dangerous for two people to cross Indian Territory alone, they sign on to work as drovers on a cattle drive going from Texas to Dodge City, Kansas. They embark on their journey and encounter many dangers and adventures along the way. Although they question the existence of the gold in the beginning, they continue their search. They soon learn that the search was more important than the gold, and not all treasure is yellow and glittery. It might even be a curly-haired girl in a watermelon patch.