***SPOILERS*** Winging south through the open prairie rain soaked and saddle sored Jim Garry, Robert Mitchum, gets himself in the middle of a bloody conflict between cattlemen and homesteaders. This fighting is all being manipulated by Garry's friend who had hired him as a gunslinger to clean up things in the area the double-crossing Tate Riling, Robert Preston.
Riling has gotten the homesteaders all fired up against cattleman John Lufton,Tom Tully, in conning them in him being on their side. Riling is actually planning to with the help of the US Government take away land that Tully uses as grazing for his some 2,500 head of cattle. Working behind the scenes with government contractor Jack Pindalest, Frank Faylen, who provides the beef for the local Indian reservation Riling plans to force Lupton to sell him his cattle at bargain basement prices, and split the profits with him, before the deadline by the US Government runs out and it has the military sizes his cattle for noncompliance!
It's takes a while for Garry to realize that he's being used by Riling before throwing his lot in with Lufton in stopping his, together with Pindalest, maniacal plan from being thrown into effect. Meanwhile in covering all the bases the back stabbing and snake in the grass Riling is having an affair with Lufton's older daughter Carol, Phyllis Thaxter, in him trying to get her to turn against her father in promising Carol that what he's doing, stealing her dad's cattle, is really in her's and her father's best interest. Garry himself has since gotten romantically involved with Lufton's younger daughter Amy, Barbara Bel Geddes, after she almost shot him in her mistaking Garry for being one of Riling's gunsling hit-men.
***SPOILERS*** Garry with the help of one of Riling's disgruntled former homesteaders supporters Kris Barden, Walter Brennan, who's son Fred, George Cooper, was killed in one of Riling's raids on Lufton's cattle plans to put to an end to both Riling and Pindalest's devious plan in a violent shoo-out in Braden's cabin at the conclusion of the movie. Garry who was previously attacked and badly wounded by one of Pindalest Indian goons by getting knifed in the chest finally gets his big chance to have it out with Riling Pindalest and their men at Barden's barricaded cabin in the woods in sub-freezing temperatures. Garry barley able to stand up from the freezing cold and the knife would he suffered, and also having a touch of pneumonia, ends it all by putting both Riling and Pindalest, together with their plans in taking over Lufton's cattle, out of commission!
Riling has gotten the homesteaders all fired up against cattleman John Lufton,Tom Tully, in conning them in him being on their side. Riling is actually planning to with the help of the US Government take away land that Tully uses as grazing for his some 2,500 head of cattle. Working behind the scenes with government contractor Jack Pindalest, Frank Faylen, who provides the beef for the local Indian reservation Riling plans to force Lupton to sell him his cattle at bargain basement prices, and split the profits with him, before the deadline by the US Government runs out and it has the military sizes his cattle for noncompliance!
It's takes a while for Garry to realize that he's being used by Riling before throwing his lot in with Lufton in stopping his, together with Pindalest, maniacal plan from being thrown into effect. Meanwhile in covering all the bases the back stabbing and snake in the grass Riling is having an affair with Lufton's older daughter Carol, Phyllis Thaxter, in him trying to get her to turn against her father in promising Carol that what he's doing, stealing her dad's cattle, is really in her's and her father's best interest. Garry himself has since gotten romantically involved with Lufton's younger daughter Amy, Barbara Bel Geddes, after she almost shot him in her mistaking Garry for being one of Riling's gunsling hit-men.
***SPOILERS*** Garry with the help of one of Riling's disgruntled former homesteaders supporters Kris Barden, Walter Brennan, who's son Fred, George Cooper, was killed in one of Riling's raids on Lufton's cattle plans to put to an end to both Riling and Pindalest's devious plan in a violent shoo-out in Braden's cabin at the conclusion of the movie. Garry who was previously attacked and badly wounded by one of Pindalest Indian goons by getting knifed in the chest finally gets his big chance to have it out with Riling Pindalest and their men at Barden's barricaded cabin in the woods in sub-freezing temperatures. Garry barley able to stand up from the freezing cold and the knife would he suffered, and also having a touch of pneumonia, ends it all by putting both Riling and Pindalest, together with their plans in taking over Lufton's cattle, out of commission!