The Wonderful Country

In Mexico, expatriate American pistolero Martin Brady is hired by the Castro brothers, Marcos and Cipriano, to lend his gunmanship to their political ambitions. The arrangement places him at the center of mounting conflict between American interests and Mexican power. The setup foreshadows the dangerous choices he will face as events unfold.

Brady travels to the United States to arrange the purchase of a wagonload of rifles and ammunition for Castro. He is delayed when he breaks his leg in an accident in Puerto, a Texas border town. Dr. Stovall treats him, and he stays with Ben Sterner and his nephew Ludwig while the situation remains unsettled.

While he is recovering from his injury, the rifles Brady had arranged for Castro are stolen. The theft strains Castro's plans and complicates Brady's already perilous position. The loss also raises the stakes for everyone involved back on the Mexican side.

Captain Rucker of the Texas Rangers learns of Brady's past and attempts to enlist him back into the Ranger service. He hopes Brady will lend his skills to U.S. forces against the Apaches. Brady's reluctance highlights the tension between his outlaw reputation and any sense of duty.

Brady becomes attracted to Helen Colton, the unhappy wife of Major Colton. Their connection introduces a personal complication to the cross-border crisis. The affair adds pressure on Brady as loyalties and emotions clash.

Brady shoots Barton, a man who murdered Ludwig and drew on him. The act reinforces Brady's personal code amid mounting violence around Sterner's circle. This confrontation intensifies the peril Brady faces and draws attention to his methods.

Brady returns to Mexico to inform Cipriano Castro that the rifles are missing. The disclosure heightens paranoia among the Castro brothers and sets up a deadly political move. Brady's report marks a turning point in his relationship with the Castro faction.

Cipriano orders Brady to assassinate his brother Marcos, who seeks to become governor. Brady refuses to carry out the hit, choosing not to become an instrument of murder for the Castro regime. As a result, Brady finds himself branded an outlaw in Mexico.

Weeks later, on the run, Brady finds cavalry sergeant Tobe Sutton and returns with him to Major Colton's camp. The unexpected alliance gives Brady a foothold despite his outlaw status. They move forward with a plan that could still align with American interests.

Colton is seriously wounded in a skirmish with the Apaches but remains determined to rendezvous with Rucker and Castro's troops. They recover the stolen rifles from a small Apache band and bring them back toward the allied mission. Colton dies, altering the balance of power and the fate of Brady's efforts.

The rifles are returned to General Marcos, who reveals that Cipriano is dead and proclaims himself governor. He brands Brady an assassin and demands that the Americans surrender and leave Mexico. The political landscape shifts decisively against Brady and his allies.

Rucker offers to help Brady prove that the Puerto shooting was self-defense if he returns to Texas. Brady decides to take the risk and heads toward the Rio Grande to be with Helen. This choice marks a final pivot toward escape and possible reunion with the U.S.

Near the river, Brady is ambushed by a gunfighter associated with Marcos. He defeats the attacker but loses his Andalusian stallion, a long-time companion. Brady leaves his gun, bullets, and sombrero by the horse and starts walking toward the United States, choosing survival over revenge.