Powder River

In 1875, ex-lawman Chino Bull leaves his guns behind and heads with his old friend Johnny Slater toward the Powder River to pan for gold. They travel with cautious hope, seeking fortune and a new life. The journey sets up the fragile friendship and the harsh land ahead.

On the way, the pair are ambushed by outlaws Loney Logan and Will Horn. Johnny arrives in time to rescue Chino, and the two ride hard toward town for supplies. The encounter shatters their calm and drags Chino deeper into a web of danger.

In a saloon run by the alluring Frenchie Dumont, Chino meets Harvey, Loney's brother and a slick card dealer. The meeting hints at the town's uneasy criminal ties and Chino's looming choices. Tension thickens as Harvey gauges how far Chino will go.

A drunken Sam Harris opens fire, killing the sheriff with a stray bullet as patrons flee. Chino volunteers to pursue Harris and knocks him out, but he declines the offer to become sheriff. The incident tests his sense of duty and sets the stage for his reluctant leadership.

Chino returns to the river to search for their claim and finds Johnny dead and their gold stolen. The loss leaves him broke and disillusioned, forcing him to reevaluate his ambitions. This turn of fortune pushes him back toward town with new resolve.

Back in town, Chino accepts the sheriff job reluctantly in an effort to restore order. He recognizes that keeping the peace may require the same tough decisions he once avoided. The town now counts on him to be a stabilizing force.

Mitch Hardin, Frenchie's suave gunslinger, rides into town and instantly challenges Chino. A severe headache incapacitates him, ending the confrontation before it can begin. The incident foreshadows a complicated alliance with him.

Debbie Allen arrives by stage from Connecticut to find her former sweetheart Mitch, who is tangled with Frenchie and plagued by a brain tumor. She discovers Mitch's links to the town's trouble and decides to return East on the next stage. Her presence adds a personal stake to Chino's decisions.

Chino, with Mitch's reluctant help to keep the plan afloat, leaks word of a $300,000 gold shipment aboard a stage. The trap is designed to draw Loney's gang into a showdown and expose who's loyal to Chino. The town braces for a high-stakes confrontation over their fortune.

During the barn assault that follows the staged trap, Debbie is accidentally shot by Harvey's men. Mitch uses his medical skill to save her life, deepening his ties to Chino and the town. The incident sharpens the sense that every choice carries a price.

Loney's gang attempts to rescue Harvey but is repelled; Chino shoots Harvey as he tries to escape, removing the man who started the chain of betrayals. The gang's retaliation is thwarted by Chino's decisive action. The town's fragile order edges closer to collapse.

Chino discovers that Mitch murdered Johnny and stole their gold. They begin to shoot it out; Mitch shoots Chino's gun from his hand, then collapses in agony and dies in Chino's arms. The revelation twists the confrontation into a tragic end for both men, with Frenchie distraught nearby.

Frenchie arrives, distraught over Mitch's death and cradling his head. The next day, she boards the stage and leaves Chino and Debbie to a possible future together. The town's fortunes have shifted, and the two survivors look ahead to what remains.