Set in the Dakota Territory, 1889,[2] the story describes the arrest, trial, and conviction of Jim Trusdale, a simple-minded rancher's son, for a crime he may not have committed.

He's informed that the crime he's been accused of is the murder, robbery, and implied molestation of a ten-year-old girl, who was on her way to a sweet shop with a silver dollar given to her by her mother.

The missing silver dollar is presumed to be either in his possession or discarded, since there's no record of him spending it, but no evidence is gained from a full-body strip search by Barclay.

As an economic measure the trial judge, Roger Mizell, also serves as the prosecuting attorney, a quirk of procedure described by a juror as "like a banker taking out a loan from himself and then paying himself interest", though no one seems to disapprove of this.

In the end he begs to be allowed to see the mountains before he dies, but the hood is pulled over his eyes and the trapdoor sprung while the priest reads Psalm 51, no one acknowledging his last request.