The Last Challenge

A cocky young man from Tennessee, Lot McGuire, arrives in the town with the aim of forcing a duel with Marshal Dan Blaine. He stakes his reputation on being the fastest gun and seeks to back up that boast with a confrontation. He doesn't yet know Blaine's identity, but his plan is clear: duel or die.

Lot encounters a man fishing along the river and they strike up a surprisingly friendly conversation. They enjoy each other's company until Lot realizes the man is Blaine, the very man he intends to kill. Upon recognizing Blaine, Lot chooses not to press a friendship and keeps his distance.

Blaine privately acknowledges that Lot doesn't seem like a true killer and urges him not to pursue the duel. He warns that a gunfight could bring trouble to the town and possibly ruin Lot's life as well. The warning plants doubt in Lot, though he remains resolute.

In the days that follow, Blaine and Lot set aside their rivalry to help bring in a disorderly group of Indians. Their collaboration reveals a grudging respect and shows that Lot can work with the lawman when necessary. The pair's growing uneasy alliance hints at a more complex relationship than a simple rivalry.

Brothel owner Lisa Denton, who is in love with Blaine, hires a down-and-out drifter named Scarnes to kill Lot. She is willing to do anything to secure Blaine's marriage to her, including arranging a killing. Scarnes's hire adds a dangerous external threat to Lot's plan.

Scarnes and Blaine share a history from prison, where they were cellmates after a bank robbery. Blaine later turned his life around as a lawman, a fact that fuels tension between the two men. The backstory foreshadows the conflict to come and deepens Scarnes's role as an enemy.

Outside of town, Scarnes springs the ambush on Lot, killing his horse in the process. A short shootout follows, and Lot is gut-shot, leaving him wounded and fighting for his life. The ambush confirms that Lisa's plot is already in motion.

Before dying, Scarnes tells Lot that Lisa hired him to kill him. The confession makes clear that Lisa's vendetta is motivated by her desire to force Blaine's hand. Lot understands the danger that now pursues him.

Knowing a showdown is inevitable, Lisa pulls a Derringer to kill Lot. Blaine arrives and stops her, taking the gun away and disarming her. The tension shifts from the ambush to the looming confrontation between Blaine and Lot.

The duel moves from the street to the bar. Lot draws his revolver first, in a reverse fashion, and Blaine fires first. Blaine hits Lot in the chest, and Lot dies with eyes open, speechless.

Blaine notices he has been shot in the side, but the wound is not fatal. He endures the aftermath of the fight as the town processes Lot McGuire's death. The injury adds a personal cost to the confrontation.

The next day, as Lot's casket is being lowered into the ground, Blaine removes his gun and holster and throws them into the grave. He rides out of town without a gun, signaling the end of his era as a gunfighter. Lisa watches from the saloon steps, crying.

Lisa Denton stands on the saloon steps, crying as Blaine rides away gunless. Her hopes of marrying him are unfulfilled, and she must face the consequences of her actions. The final image lingers on a woman who loved a man she could not possess.