Crossfire Trail

Rafe Covington and his best friend Rodney set out on a vessel bound for San Francisco. Rodney is dying from a brutal beating by the ship's captain, and in his last breaths he makes Covington swear to protect his wife Anne and the Wyoming ranch. Covington accepts the oath, and the trio heads toward the west with the weight of Rodney's last request.

Rodney dies on the ship moments after giving the oath. Covington avenges his friend by beating the captain in a fight. The trio then continues their journey to Wyoming, determined to honor the promise.

They trek through the Rocky Mountains to Wyoming and find Rodney's ranch long deserted. The men roll up their sleeves and begin restoring the property, repairing fences and rebuilding what time and abandonment have worn down. The mood is tense, but the work restores some hope.

Covington heads into a local town to arrange supplies and inform Anne about Rodney’s death and his vow. Anne refuses to believe him, since Rodney's death had been attributed to a Sioux war party the year before. The tension between trust and uncertainty sets the stage for what follows.

Bruce Barkow, a wealthy town leader, seeks to control the ranch for himself. Covington befriends Joe Gill, an older cowboy who was a friend of Rodney, while Snake Corville spreads doubts about how Rodney really died. The town atmosphere grows uneasy as Barkow's influence spreads.

Covington rescues Red Cloud’s daughter from Mike Taggart, one of Barkow's hired men. Mike, his brother Luke, and Snake Corville turn hostile toward Covington after the rescue. The confrontation hardens the feud between Covington and Barkow.

Covington, Rock Mullane, J.T. Langston, and Gill begin rounding up Rodney’s scattered cattle and get the ranch running again. The effort angers Barkow, who can’t tolerate Covington’s growing control. The group works through days of hard labor to stabilize the operation.

Covington buys Rodney's Winchester Centennial rifle in town, a symbolic weapon tied to Rodney's memory. Outside, Mike Taggart challenges Covington to a duel; Covington shoots Mike in self-defense and then repels Snake Corville’s ambush. The two early firefights elevate the stakes for everyone.

Beau Dorn, a gunfighter with a fearsome reputation, is hired by Barkow to kill Covington and his friends in exchange for a piece of the ranch. Dorn arrives in town and begins planning his strike against the ranch crew. Tensions reach a breaking point as the threat of violence looms.

The next day, Covington and the others discover large volumes of petroleum oil on the ranch. The oil discovery sharpens Barkow’s appetite for control and adds a valuable asset to the conflict. The sense that money and leverage are at stake deepens the danger.

Barkow gives Covington three days to clear out with J.T. and Rock, or face eviction; Gill openly sides with Covington. Dorn agrees to kill Covington and his friends in exchange for a priority stake in the ranch.

That night Dorn opens fire from a hillside, killing J.T. and wounding others. Barkow’s thugs seize Rodney’s cattle and herd them into town, showing how far Barkow is willing to go. Anne rides into town and tells Barkow she believes Covington, deepening the conflict.

Barkow beats Anne and compels the town's sheriff to marry him to Anne, securing legal control over the ranch. He then proceeds to try to rape Anne in a hotel room when she resists. The threat of violence grows as Covington and his allies prepare to respond.

Covington, Rock, Gill, and the town’s gunfighters confront Barkow and Dorn in a full-scale gunfight. Gill and the town’s store owner are wounded, and Luke is killed by Rock during the chaos. Covington duels Dorn, fakes being mortally wounded, then shoots Dorn; Barkow shoots Covington in the back before Anne arrives to end Barkow’s reign.

With Barkow dead and order restored, the townspeople emerge to witness Covington and Anne’s reunion with Gill and Rock. The ranch begins a new era under Covington’s protection, and the couple looks toward a hopeful future together.