Quincannon, Frontier Scout

Linus Quincannon leaves the Army in disgust over the government's treatment of Indians, particularly before the Battle of Washita. His resignation establishes the moral weather vane that guides him through the ensuing mission. This decision foreshadows personal cost and steadfastness in the face of orders.

Colonel Conover recalls Quincannon to solve a secret theft of Henry rifles and ammunition. He explains that Arapahoes learned of the rifles and that the culprits must be found. Quinny hesitantly agrees to take on the mission.

Calvin and Burke locate Quinny and pinion him so the Colonel can talk to him in private. The meeting reveals the scope of the mission and the expectation that Quinny will lead the investigation. He reluctantly agrees to accept the assignment.

Maylene Mason, a spirited East Coast woman, arrives to determine the fate of her brother who may have been killed in the rifles raid. The Colonel assigns her under Quinny's command to accompany the expedition to Fort Smith. The dynamic character adds tension and compassion to the mission.

Quincannon, Maylene, Burke, and Calvin set out for Fort Smith with cautious planning. They hide their saddles, ride bareback, and even dye their skin to resemble Indians to avoid trouble. This risky ruse emphasizes Quinny's improvisational leadership.

On the trail, they encounter a Crow hunting party being stalked by an Arapaho. They kill the Arapaho hunter and learn that the tribes intend to ally for a major war. Quinny explains life on the frontier and uses his wily diplomacy to pass a war band unseen.

The group reaches Fort Smith and Maylene's brother's death is confirmed by Captain Bell. Bell is shocked to learn of the secret shipment of rifles, a detail Colonel Conover had kept from him. The fort becomes the hub for further investigation.

Quincannon, Burke, and Calvin quietly investigate inside Bell's command. They discover Lieutenant Hostedder in possession of $2,000 in gold coins stolen from an Army paymaster by Arapahoes. Quincannon arrests Hostedder under his carte blanche authority.

Bell takes Hostedder to his office for questioning and murders him. The two men were in cahoots with Iron Wolf, the Arapaho chief who manipulated the thefts to become a tribal leader. Quinny's purchase of Iron Wolf's testimony reveals a dangerous conspiracy.

With Maylene left at Fort Bell, Quinny, Burke, and Calvin seek a fur trader and whiskey peddler who can broker access to the tribes. They hope Blackfoot Sam can provide an inroad to the warlike bands. The mission expands into a hunt for allies and information.

They locate Blackfoot Sam and he tries to ambush them but wounds Burke in the encounter. Quinny and Calvin wipe out Sam's trading party and tend to Burke's injuries. This confrontation tightens the stakes and escalates the conflict with Arapaho allies.

Using Sam's whiskey as an entrée, Quinny and Calvin infiltrate Iron Wolf's camp. They locate the stolen Henry rifles and blow them up before escaping. The operation shows Quinny's cunning and willingness to take dangerous risks.

Iron Wolf chases the trio to an abandoned fort, but Quinny captures him instead of letting him escape. The capture marks a turning point as the Arapaho leader is brought to justice on Quinny's terms. The frontier's balance of power shifts in Quinny's favor.

Captain Bell confronts Quinny at the abandoned fort and tries to pin the theft on him. Quinny reveals Iron Wolf's accusation that Bell was the white partner; Iron Wolf points to Bell, leading to Bell's arrest. The revelation exposes a larger conspiracy within the fort's leadership.

Back at Fort Smith, Colonel Conover uses influence to reinstate Quinny's commission and promote him to Major. The personal arc culminates as Maylene asks if she is still worth twenty ponies, and Quinny accepts with a passionate kiss, sealing their engagement. The film ends on a note of honor, love, and a new beginning.