A Man Called Sledge

Luther Sledge, a wanted outlaw, visits his prostitute girlfriend Ria. During a poker game, one of his gang is shot; Sledge retaliates by killing the attackers. The violent moment sets the stage for a larger plan.

An old man recognizes Sledge from the earlier trouble and begins to follow him. The stalker becomes a constant presence as Sledge moves about.

The old man relays a tale of a periodic gold shipment guarded by forty riders, which stops at a prison. He hints that such a haul could be seized with the right disruption.

Sledge gathers Joyce, Bice, Guthrie, Beetle, Kehoe, and Hooker to plan the heist. They study the tale and begin to prepare equipment and logistics.

The local sheriff recognizes the old man from prison days and opens fire. Sledge and his gang are forced to flee amid the gunfire.

The gang observes the gold guards and tests their defenses, realizing a direct assault would be costly. They decide to infiltrate the prison by freeing inmates to create chaos and draw the guards away.

Ward, posing as a US Marshal, takes Sledge into the prison under guard for the night. The warden is wary, and the sheriff's involvement complicates matters.

The warden relents temporarily; Sledge, Ward, and nearby prisoners overpower him and take control of a cell for the night. They free the remaining inmates and the plan inches forward.

The rioting prisoners dynamite the prison gate, creating enough noise to draw the guards toward the prison. The gold guards arrive ready for a confrontation.

Inside the cell area, the old man guides Bice through opening the gold safe by sound. Ward is killed in the battle, and the sheriff arrives again only to be killed by Sledge in a running rifle fight.

The gang escapes and begins dividing the gold, with Sledge taking a double share. The old man notes this arrangement as a poker montage begins to unfold.

A poker montage shows the old man winning a substantial portion of the others' gold. Playing against Joyce, he discovers Joyce has been cheating with sand substituted for gold dust and kills him.

Guthrie objects to the old man's methods and leaves the gang. Sledge defends the old man, defending their brutal approach to the heist.

The old man proposes kidnapping Ria, and the pursuit leads to a Spanish Mission town deserted for a festival. The old man now leads the gang as they negotiate with Sledge and race toward a confrontation.

Hearing Ria's screams, Sledge abandons the gold to rescue her. Ria dies, warning that Bice is behind him. Sledge kills Bice and Hooker, then wounds the old man, who reveals that the gold is hidden beyond reach. Remembering Ria's words, Sledge kills the old man and rides away empty-handed as the town returns to normal.