Hawkes is guiding three wagons through Mescalero Apache territory. One wagon has a family of Quakers hoping to be missionaries while another is gruff trader Louis Roque with a wagon of trade goods. While scouting ahead, Hawks is confronted by a group of Mexicans lead by Jose Morales who takes Hawks prisoner with plans to take the three wagons. At the camp Raleigh is killed. Morales recognizes Roque as the man who stabbed him after escaping the Alamo. On the road they find two of Morales' men killed by the Mescalero. They run to a burned out cabin for protection while the Mescalero attack. Soon Morales is the only man left of his group but wounded. Hawks and Roque join the fighting while Joseph Oliver refuses to fight believing he can make peace with the Indians. During a lull he goes outside to make contact with the Mescalero but is killed with a lance. That night they decide Hawks can lead the three remaining members of his party to safety while Morales stays behind as Roque decides to stay with Morales as a sign of unity and respect for each other as soldiers. He raises the Texas Lone Star flag on his sword right before the Mescalero make their final attack. Hawks gets the others to safety but goes back to bury and pay respects to the two men who saved the rest.
—Anonymous