Kill or Be Killed

In 1900 Texas, Claude 'Sweet Tooth' Barbee, Frank Jackson, and Tom Nixon ambush a chain gang to free their fellow member Slap Jack Davis. They soon learn the gold from their last robbery is about 500 miles away, turning a rescue into a quest for fortune. Nixon balks at the journey, but the others threaten to go without him.

On the road, the gang encounters a traveling salesman and his ward, a ventriloquist's dummy named Willie. They are amused by the puppet until the salesman beats the boy, provoking a violent reaction from the gang. Barbee accepts Willie into the crew, expanding their numbers.

Shortly after Willie joins, Goody Spotswood arrives as the gang’s scout, providing guard and reconnaissance as they move from town to town. His presence sharpens their ability to raid and evade pursuers. The crew presses on toward the distant gold.

The gang robs a local church in a town they pass through, killing several townsfolk. Davis is wounded during the raid, heightening the danger and drawing attention from lawmen. The violence deepens the crew's ruthlessness as they push toward their goal.

Rudy Goebel murders his employer and then his wife when she protests. Goebel tortures Davis before Barbee wakes and kills Goebel, ending that brutal scene. The gang leaves the house at dawn, unsettled but still intent on the treasure.

The next morning, the gang discovers Nixon is dead, likely from natural causes given his age. Barbee assumes de facto leadership and steers the group toward the gold, intensified by the knowledge they must press on. They resume their march with a cold, determined pace.

Barbee’s gang robs several towns on their path to the gold, drawing pursuit from Sheriff Everheart and Deputy Peak who hope to claim the reward. The lawmen rally more townsfolk to the chase as the gang grows bolder. The looming confrontation with authorities intensifies the pressure to reach the treasure.

The gang seeks refuge at the Wilberforce homestead, where Jackson rapes and murders the Wilberforces' daughter. Barbee reluctantly kills the vengeful father but spares the rest of the family, and they flee after looting the barn and stealing a horse. The stop leaves a stain on Barbee's conscience as they ride on.

After a raid on a whorehouse, Pearl, a former prostitute, follows the gang and asks to join. Barbee grows closer to Pearl and reveals the truth about the gold. Pearl takes Barbee’s map and Willie is killed off-screen; Spotswood dies soon after, and Barbee is haunted by nightmares of a bestial hunter.

While Davis seeks aid from a doctor, Pearl tips off Everheart about Barbee's whereabouts. The trio then encounter a man attacking a woman and, convinced he is Spotswood's killer, kill him. The tensions inside the group mount as plans for the gold shift again.

Everheart and Peak catch up to the trio at a remote camp. A firefight leaves Peak dead and Davis wounded again, driving Barbee to edge and pushing the chase toward its final clash. The promise of the gold becomes intertwined with death and revenge.

Barbee corners Everheart at a barn and shoots him, ending the immediate pursuit. Davis reveals that the gold lies at the bottom of a well, and Barbee mercy-kills him as he bleeds out. Barbee pretends to shoot himself; Goebel's son reveals himself and Barbee kills him. He then reaches the well, is wounded by a bounty hunter whom he kills, and Goebel's other son pushes him into the well where Pearl's corpse lies.