A young Billy the Kid gets a job with a cattleman, known as 'The Englishman,' and is befriended by the peaceful, religious man. But, when a crooked sheriff and his men murder the Englishman, Billy decides to avenge his death by killing them, so throwing the lives of everyone around him into turmoil. Endlessly fascinated by his own image and blindly following a death wish to its logical conclusion, this Billy is very much of the rebel-without-a-cause breed, a hero unable to match up to his legend.