Long Live Death

In priestly disguise, the con artist Orlowsky learns from a dying confession about a village where a hidden treasure awaits. The revelation sets his sights on the inland prize and the dangerous path toward it. This moment marks the inciting spark for the ensuing con and chase.

Orlowsky tracks down Lozoya, the Mexican bandit who holds a fragment of the treasure map and a tattooed clue to its location. The pursuit promises danger and opportunity as two rival seekers move toward the same prize. The quest for power pulls Orlowsky deeper into the complex conspiracy.

Mary O'Donnell bribes Sheriff Randall to free the Mexican revolutionary El Salvador from prison, hoping to spark a revolutionary movement. The prisoner is said to be dead, but the sheriff accepts a higher payoff for the release. The scheme exposes Randall's corrupt bargains.

The sheriff's scam is revealed: he takes money to release prisoners and then kills them for rewards, with the warden collecting half. The revelation twists loyalties and foreshadows deadly consequences. Orlowsky seizes the opportunity amid the chaos.

Orlowsky is locked up for later torture to death, setting a grim tone for the power struggle to come. His imprisonment heightens the sense that every move carries a heavy price. The countdown to the next confrontation begins here.

The warden goes to release Lozoya, but the bandit knocks him out and helps Orlowsky escape. Lozoya is reluctant, protesting the boost over the wall, yet the two escape together. They encounter Mary, and Orlowsky bullies Lozoya into posing as El Salvador with himself as a military adviser.

Mary recognizes Lozoya but chooses to go along with the ruse, using her journalist persona to shape events and fuel the uprising. Her complicity hints at a deeper plan to manufacture a public idol. The alliance strengthens as the trio moves forward.

In a tavern, Lozoya frames Orlowsky for a watch theft to force his escape and talk to Mendoza about the other half of the treasure map. A fight erupts, leaving Lozoya cornered in a well. Orlowsky arrives to save him but first punishes Lozoya by leaving him to struggle at the surface.

Lozoya is forced to disclose the treasure instructions by dropping his pants, exposing the map's other half to Orlowsky. Orlowsky incapacitates Lozoya with drink and both men begin the literal digging for the prize. The hunt intensifies as distrust grows.

Randall and his soldiers capture Lupita, Lozoya's sister, and torture her for information. Miguelito, Lupita's son, eventually reveals Lozoya's location in a bid to save his mother. The brothers' quest for treasure mutates into a personal vendetta.

Mary rescues Orlowsky and Lozoya, and they head toward San Tomas. Along the way they discover Lupita and Miguelito dead, a devastating blow that fuels Lozoya's vow to avenge his family. The momentum shifts from treasure-hunting to vengeance.

The pursuit of justice expands into a broader uprising against General Huerta. Lozoya and his allies mobilize, while Mary uses bold distraction to aid the attack. The plan hinges on toppling the garrison and seizing control of the situation.

Huerta has already claimed the treasure, but Lozoya resolves to give the money to medicine, schools, and hospitals instead, insisting he cannot betray his people. Orlowsky mutters that he never leaves empty-handed and shadows the deal. The ethical line blurs in the pursuit of power.

The hero is executed after an exhortation, but it is a ruse: Lozoya is killed by blank bullets while Orlowsky detonates explosives that kill the soldiers and Huerta. Randall and his men briefly ambush Orlowsky but are slain, aided by the resurrected Lozoya. The duo then shares the reward money and laughs at their double game as they walk away.

Mary proposes carrying the revolutionary flame to Guatemala, and the three ride off together into an uncertain future. The film closes on a note of uncertain triumph, with loyalties tested and futures unwritten.