Apache Ambush

After the Civil War ends, President Lincoln quietly chooses Indian scout James Kingston to lead a cattle shipment north from Texas to ease meat shortages in the Northeast. He is joined by seasoned cattle driver Tim O'Roarke and former Confederate Major Tex McGuire, forming the core of the expedition. The mission begins as a risky trek toward Abilene, Kansas amid political tension.

Kingston accepts the leadership and coordinates with O'Roarke and McGuire to organize the caravan. They map routes, guard formations, and pacing for the long drive north. The trio prepares to face threats from Confederate sympathizers and Apache hosts along the way.

Mexican bandit Joaquin Jironza, allied with the Apaches, covets the Henry Repeating Rifles secretly shipped with the convoy by Hank Calvin. He schemes to intercept the caravan and strip Kingston of its power. The conflict over the rifles sets the central stakes of the mission.

Lee Parker, a one-armed ex-rebel, travels with the caravan and quickly becomes a source of friction for Kingston’s plan. His Confederate loyalties create tension within the group and threaten unity. The drive north carries a fragile balance of alliances.

A female spy working for Jironza befriends Hank Calvin and uncovers the location of the Henry rifles. She leaves the wagon train to inform Jironza of the convoy’s vulnerability. The alert raises the danger of a coordinated interception.

Jironza launches an assault on the wagon train with Apache support, pushing the caravan to the brink. Kingston and his men use the rifles to repel the attackers, exposing the weapons’ existence to all. Hank Calvin is killed during the raid as the defense buys time for the convoy.

The wagon train limps into San Arturo while the Henry rifles vanish without a trace. Parker is quickly suspected due to his Confederate sympathies, though he vehemently denies involvement. The town grows tense as the loss threatens the mission’s viability.

The Union Army cannot provide the promised escort because the Secretary of War orders Kingston to abandon San Arturo and secure the Mexican border. The assassination of President Lincoln deepens national instability and undermines convoy protection. Animosity between Union and Confederate sympathizers in town accelerates.

With the rifles' location still unknown, tensions erupt into violence between rival sympathizer groups. Kingston’s men and town residents navigate a fragile stalemate as accusations fly. Parker’s loyalties remain a focal point in the escalating conflict.

Parker is captured by Jironza and offers to reveal the rifles’ location in exchange for protecting his father and sister, Ann, and for disrupting the cattle drive. The bargain pulls Kingston deeper into a perilous web of loyalties and betrayals. The stakes rise as the location of the rifles slides toward the surface.

By chance, Kingston discovers the rifles buried beneath Hank Calvin’s wagon, solving the central mystery. The cache becomes a powerful lever in the looming confrontation with Jironza. This discovery jolts the town into a heightened sense of urgency.

Jironza presses the assault on the town using the information supplied by Parker. In the melee, Parker is mortally wounded and his father is killed by Jironza. Parker’s death removes a contested ally and leaves Kingston to respond to a more dangerous threat.

Before dying, Parker asks Ann to inform Kingston that the Apache plan to ambush the cattle herd at Carney Pass. The message gives Kingston a crucial warning to adjust the drive. Ann carries the warning back to Kingston, setting up the next act of the conflict.

The Apache launch the ambush at Carney Pass, prompting a stampede as the herd scatters under fire. Kingston and his men race to the pass to turn the herd away from the attackers. The Apache chief is killed and the remaining fighters withdraw in disarray.

With the herd redirected and the threat neutralized, Kingston arrives from San Arturo and guides the cattle toward Abilene as planned. The convoy continues north, and Kingston pledges to return to Ann after the mission’s completion. The journey ends on a note of cautious hope amid the unsettled postwar landscape.