The Tall Men

Ben and Clint Allison forcibly abduct Nathan Stark and force him to travel with them, promising he will be allowed to leave the next day minus his money. Stark uses his wits to persuade them to team up instead of escaping. He provides funds and cattle-drive expertise to move the herd from Texas to Montana, forming an unlikely partnership.

Their pack horse falls into an icy river, stranding supplies and men. They are taken in by a group of starving settlers who offer shelter from a raging blizzard, and among them is Nell Turner, who catches both Ben and Stark's eye. The harsh weather binds the travelers together for the moment.

Nell and Ben form a fragile bond while staying with the settlers, but their visions for the future diverge. Nell longs for a larger life beyond a narrow farm existence, while Ben only wants to claim his own Montana ranch. The burgeoning feeling between them is tempered by their incompatible goals.

A rescue party arrives to help the settlers, and Ben learns that his brother Clint and Stark have taken the stagecoach toward San Antonio. Nell would prefer California, but bad weather leaves San Antonio as the only viable route for everyone. The group splits and continues toward different futures.

In San Antonio, Ben and Nell go their separate ways after disembarking the stage. Stark later romances Nell with fine meals and champagne, testing Nell's loyalty and affection. The city becomes a crossroads for their tangled motives.

Ben recruits a loyal band of vaqueros to escort the long 1,500-mile trek to Montana. Nell flirts with Stark's dreams, but Ben commands the growing group with his own stubborn drive. The campaign toward Montana begins as the rapidly expanding caravan sets out.

A gang of jayhawkers blocks the trail, demanding $5,000 to permit crossing into Kansas. Ben refuses, and a firefight erupts, leaving several jayhawkers dead and the caravan continuing westward with heavier caution. The conflict foreshadows the dangers ahead.

Clint's horse returns alone, and his body is found riddled with Sioux arrows, a devastating blow to the brothers' group. Ben spends days scouting Sioux movements and devises a defensive plan that relies on using cattle and horses to stampede against the attackers. The drive hardens into a defensive ordeal.

Ben executes the stampede plan to blunt Sioux attacks, sacrificing some cattle but preserving the herd enough to reach Montana. The confrontation reshapes the drive, and only 100–150 head are lost. The riders press on toward Mineral City as the gunfire and arrows subside.

In Mineral City, Stark is paid about $170,000 for the herd. He tries to turn Ben over to the vigilante committee to face hanging, revealing a personal vendetta. Ben's men mobilize, holding the saloon at gunpoint to thwart Stark's plan and buy time for a smarter outcome.

Stark backtracks on his vendetta and relents to avoid a public hanging. Ben accepts a fraction of his due—$16,000 for the drovers, $10,000 for himself—and even gives $100 to the saloonkeeper for a champagne bottle for Nell and Stark's wedding. Ben's restraint marks a quiet victory over vengeance.

Back at camp, Nell sings a version of her song that reveals her love for Ben. The lyrics declare that he is the one for her, and the moment closes with a sense of shared future rather than final separation.