Chuka

A U.S. Army commander dictates a report as Arapaho chief Hanu is held prisoner in the fort's ruined office. The discovery of a solitary grave and a Colt pistol hints at a hidden past and raises questions about loyalty and fate. This setup frames the central tension of the story.

Chuka rides into winter-blanketed Arapaho territory and shares food with the starving camp. He then encounters a stagecoach carrying Senora Kleitz and Helena, drawing the attention of Arapaho warriors led by Hanu. The Arapaho surround the coach but do not attack, recognizing Chuka's presence.

Chuka accompanies the coach to the U.S. Army fort, where Colonel Valois distrusts outsiders and fears an ambush. He orders civilians kept inside and sends out a scout to reconnoiter, but the scout returns without his rider. The fort's vulnerability grows as danger closes in.

During a tense dinner, Valois outlines the soldiers' histories—Chuka's lost romance with Kleitz, Valois's suspected cowardice and drunkenness, Major Benson's hidden Arapaho mistress, and Lieutenant Daly's treason charge. Only Hansbach is presented as a capable, loyal soldier. The revelations establish motives and fractures within the garrison.

Chuka is paid to scout the enemy and succeeds, even rescuing Lou Trent during the mission. His skill eclipses his rough reputation and earns a wary respect from some officers. The escort mission foreshadows the tough decisions he will face later.

Chuka tries to renew his relationship with Kleitz, who is now a widow. She tells him it is too late to rebuild what they had, but she asks for his help to escape with her niece. He offers to take them to safety, yet the threat to the fort complicates any plans.

Before the expected attack, Valois crushes an attempted mutiny by his soldiers and shoots the ringleader Spivey. The incident reveals his willingness to use force to maintain order, despite a checkered past. Chuka recognizes the delicate balance of loyalty inside the fort.

The Arapaho launch their assault, aided by inside help as Major Benson's Arapaho mistress stabs him and sets fire to the stables. The fort's defenses begin to crumble as the siege tightens. This inside betrayal accelerates the fall of the fort.

As walls are breached, Kleitz dies in Chuka's arms and Valois dies, lamenting his fate. Hansbach is fatally shot as he looks on his fallen commander. With the fort overrun and their defenses collapsed, Chuka fights on, while Helena Chavez takes shelter nearby.

Hanu rides through the burning fort with his warriors, surveying the wreckage. Chuka takes a risky aim at Hanu to prevent Helena from being captured, but then recoils and lowers his pistol. Hanu, expressionless, leads his people away into the night, as if the debt between them is settled.

Back in the present, the commander finishes his report and states he will not disturb the grave to learn who is buried there. There is no sign of Chuka or Helena, but their relationship has clearly been foreshadowed. The final implication is that they likely left the fort together after burying Senora Kleitz.