Broken Lance

A powerful ranch owner who built a sprawling ranch and mining empire. He rules with a fierce, workmanlike Irish-settlement ethos, offering little affection to his three older sons. His insistence on total authority strains family ties and fuels a rebellion among Ben, Mike, and Denny. The crises surrounding the copper mine and his later stroke reveal the limits of his control.

A biracial son raised by his mother near the Native American reservation, who loves his father but does not seek to run the vast empire. He spends time riding the range and with his mother’s people, while trying to avoid becoming a political pawn in the family feud. Joe ultimately takes responsibility for a mine-related crisis, endures prison, and pursues a path toward reconciliation.

Joe's wife, a supportive presence who embodies loyalty and resilience. She stands by Joe through the trials of family conflict and the subsequent quest for peace after Matt's death.

The ranch foreman who embodies pragmatism and protective authority. He intervenes at critical moments, saving Joe by preventing further violence and ultimately helping to end the feud.

The oldest son, consumed by resentment toward his father. He participates in the rustling and escalates the family conflict, ultimately meeting a violent end at the hands of Two Moons.

Joe's mother, a Native American woman who maintains a strong cultural identity. She urges reconciliation and acts as a mediator between the old and new generations of the family.

A younger brother whose actions contribute to the family conflict. His presence highlights the pressures and rivalries within the Devereaux clan.