In the small town called Amerigua where most things are controlled by the influential Colonel Banderas, the people are preparing themselves for the annual beauty contest. At the same time the revolutionist Evaristo returns after twenty years of exile in Nicaragua. He now seeks revenge aswell as his childhood friend Maria...

The legend of the life of Antonio 'Gauchito' Gil and the construction of the myth are axes of this story. 40 years after his death, an old man goes through the towns telling the legend of the pagan saint. He tells the story of his miracles and the exploits of the Gaucho, who knew how to do justice in times of war.