Texas Across the River

Phoebe Ann Naylor's wedding to Don Andrea Baldazar is interrupted by the arrival of Yancey Cottle and his U.S. Dragoons. Yancey duels Andrea; he is accidentally defenestrated and killed by Lt. Howard's actions. Howard then accuses Andrea of murder, forcing Andrea to flee and vow to meet Phoebe Ann across the river in Texas, before Texas is a state.

In the wake of the scandal, Phoebe Ann is sent to Texas to lie low. The plan is to let the affair blow over while Andrea is on the run. The move sets the stage for the trek and frontier tensions.

Sam Hollis, a trek guide, and his Indian sidekick Kronk hire Don Andrea as an additional escort because the Army refuses to provide troops until Texas becomes part of the Union. Andrea accepts the assignment, joining the wagon train despite cultural clashes. The trio faces frontier dangers as they travel toward Texas.

On the trek, Hollis and Andrea clash of cultures but reconcile enough to work together. They end up rescuing Indian maiden Lonetta from ritual killing by a Comanche medicine man. Lonetta's rescue ties her fate to the travelers and expands the frontier conflict.

The Comanches under Iron Jacket and his inept son Yellow Knife plot an attack on Phoebe Ann's wagon train and nearby settlers. The threat looms over Hollis, Andrea, and their companions as they continue the journey. The looming siege heightens the stakes for everyone involved.

Hollis becomes romantically interested in Phoebe Ann and, despite his rough manners, gradually wins her heart. Their growing bond adds personal stakes to the frontier dangers they face. The romance flavors the decisions each character makes moving forward.

Andrea decides to settle down and, with Lonetta's help, tames a small herd of wild cattle. This success inspires the other settlers to try cattle ranching as a way to survive on the frontier. Their progress fosters a sense of community resilience.

News arrives that Texas has joined the Union, and Captain Stimpson's cavalry detachment arrives to enforce order. Andrea and Lonetta are forced to flee into the wilderness to avoid capture. The shift in political status compounds the danger surrounding the travelers.

The Comanche assault the settlers, but Soldiers are distracted, giving Andrea a chance to lure the warriors away from the town. A fire spurs a stampede of newly tamed cattle, breaking up the attack. The town narrowly escapes devastation thanks to Andrea's tactics and the herd.

Andrea is arrested and condemned to execution despite Phoebe Ann's testimony. In a desperate move, Phoebe Ann shoves Lt. Howard into a watering trough, causing Captain Stimpson to topple into it and exonerate Andrea. The dramatic action resolves the duel's outcome in an unexpected way.

Hollis and Andrea prepare to settle their differences, but Phoebe Ann and Lonetta stage a distraction to keep the men from killing each other. The ruse defuses immediate violence and buys time for a fragile peace. The women assert influence over the frontier's male rivalries.

Lt. Howard, now disgraced, accidentally hits an oil deposit, causing crude oil to spray to the surface. The discovery forces the settlers to consider relocation as their town evolves with new resources. Meanwhile, the worn-out Comanches decide to return to their lands, ending the immediate threat for now.