The Bravados

Six months after his wife's death, Douglass rides into Rio Arriba determined to track down four outlaws he suspects of murder. He believes Alfonso Parral, Bill Zachary, Ed Taylor, and Lujan are responsible for killing his wife and kidnapping his daughter. His lone pursuit becomes a personal mission as he asks the town and its authorities to help.

Douglass visits Parral and the other three prisoners in the jail to question them about his wife's death and to gather any hint about their involvement. The four men are awaiting execution for an unrelated murder, so the atmosphere is tense. Douglass makes it clear he will not rest until he finds the truth.

The designated executioner checks the inmates' heights and weights, but is an impostor. He stabs Sheriff Eloy Sanchez, who still manages to shoot and kill the impostor. The chaos triggers the breakout as the four inmates escape, taking a young woman named Emma hostage.

With the impostor dead, the four inmates seize the opportunity and flee from the jail area, taking Emma as a hostage. The escape ignites a manhunt as a posse rides out the next day to pursue them. Douglass himself joins the chase.

The posse trails the fugitives into the countryside and Douglass joins the pursuit the following day. They discover the corpse of the genuine executioner, who was ambushed before he reached town. The false lead strengthens Douglass's resolve to confront the real culprits.

Parral is assigned to ambush Douglass on the road, but the plan backfires when Douglass shows him a photograph of his dead wife. Parral denies knowledge of her, yet Douglass shoots him, sending a stark message about the quest's personal stakes.

Douglass captures Ed Taylor and ropes him by the feet, hanging him upside-down from a tree as punishment and for psychological leverage. The capture marks a turning point as the pursuers close in on the fugitives. The execution of Taylor in the forest heightens the sense of danger.

The remaining fugitives reach John Butler's house, where Butler refuses to join the chase and tries to keep working. Zachary shoots Butler, killing him, while Lujan retrieves Butler's sack of coins. The coins are later revealed to be the key clue tying Butler to Douglass's wife's death.

Zachary and Lujan force Emma to flee as riders approach; Zachary rapes Emma in the ensuing chaos. Josefa and a ranch-hand arrive on the scene, spotting Douglass coming from another direction, while the main posse closes in. This moment complicates Douglass's moral stance.

Josefa joins the pursuit and the main posse arrives. Douglass heads back toward his ranch to gather fresh mounts, only to find his last horses have already been taken by the fugitives. The hunt continues with Douglass close on their trail.

Douglass tracks Zachary into a bar in a town across the Mexican border. The outlaw denies knowledge of the picture of Douglass's wife, but Douglass shoots and kills him, severing the threat from a major segment of the group.

Douglass travels to Lujan's home to confront him and show the photograph of his wife. Lujan claims he has never seen her, but admits to possessing the sack of coins that Butler took. Douglass realizes that Butler was the murderer who killed his wife, not these four men.

With the true killer identified, Douglass regrets having slain three of the four men. He understands he chased men who had nothing to do with his wife's death and grapples with the consequences of his vendetta.

Douglass returns to town and goes to the church to seek forgiveness for his actions. The priest notes that he cannot condone the vigilante killings but respects Douglass for not excusing his behavior. The moment underscores the moral reckoning at the story's core.

Josefa arrives at the church with Douglass's daughter, and the three depart, signaling a fragile reconciliation and a possible future for Douglass and his family. The final image emphasizes forgiveness and renewal after a costly pursuit.