A young Texas lad growing up on a small farm in the 1800's, sets out to explore America when he decides it was time to "explore the world." He leaves his abusive uncle's farm and joins a cattle drive up, the Shawnee Trail (later to be named the "Chisholm Trail"). He then heads north to Fort Kearny to join with a wagon train where he meets and befriends a young boy and seasoned, well-known scout and entrepreneur named Jim Bridger. His long journey eventually finds Billy in San Francisco where he bonds with a spoiled rich son of an old California family, who takes him under his wing and they travel south to the man's massive hacienda near Monterey. This is where he meets the love of his life, the daughter of a rich "hidalgo" or "Don" and together after they have fallen in love, their lives then forever change and take a totally different turn.