The Stalking Moon

U.S. Army soldiers round up a group of Apaches, mostly women and children. Among them they discover a white woman and her half-Indian son, marking a tense and morally loaded moment. The scene sets the backdrop of danger and ethnic tension that threads through the story.

Retiring scout Sam Varner volunteers to escort Sarah Carver and her son, refusing to let them wait for a military pass five days. He promises to protect them on the way to safety and to his ranch afterward. The arrangement propels the entire journey.

Sam leads them toward the stage coach stop at Hennessy, hoping for a quick start. The plan is simple, but dangers loom as the landscape grows unsettled. They press on with caution as the day advances.

The boy slips away during the night, forcing Sam and Sarah to search through darkness. A roaring dust storm erupts, sending them to hole up together to wait out the elements. The harsh weather tests their fragile alliance.

When they return to the station, they find everyone dead, killed by Salvaje the Apache. Salvaje is feared as a silent and ruthless killer. The atrocity shatters any sense of safe passage and raises the stakes for the travelers.

Sam arranges for Sarah and her son to ride a stagecoach toward Silverton, while he pursues tickets to Topeka by trading government transport letters. He transitions from a simple escort to a protector orchestrating their future route. The group continues along the rails with renewed urgency.

Sam invites Sarah and her son to accompany him to his ranch in New Mexico, hoping for safer shelter and a chance to establish a home life. They agree, albeit cautiously, to move west together. The move promises shelter and a new life but carries the risk of Salvaje catching up.

Nick, Sam's longtime half-breed scout friend, arrives with grim news: Salvaje has killed everyone at Silverton and even killed Sam's old horse. He warns that Salvaje is heading toward the ranch. The information deepens the sense of danger and intensifies the stakes.

Ned goes outside to feed his dog and discovers it killed by an arrow. In a blind rage, he chases Salvaje into the trees, but never returns. Sam hears Ned's death scream and realizes the threat is personal.

Sam begins to pursue Salvaje, trying to protect the family inside. Nick suddenly leaps to warn Sam, but Salvaje kills him. Nick dies in Sam's arms, a grim reminder of the danger closing in.

Salvaje enters the ranch house through a window, and Sam blows out the kerosene lamp to hide in darkness. He fires at the intruder, who retreats but leaves a bloody trail. The house becomes the center of the looming confrontation.

Sam pursues Salvaje outside and walks into a knife booby-trap that collapses his strength and bleeds him. They fight, and Sam shoots Salvaje three times as the warrior falls atop him and dies. The relentless pursuit ends with Salvaje's death and Sam's grave wound underscoring the price of retaliation.

Sarah rushes out to help Sam back to the house and tend his wounds. They reach for a fragile peace as they survive the night. The film closes on their uneasy bond and the cost of their escape.