On a U.S. Cavalry patrol bound for Ft. Bowie, Lt. Jonathan Davenport, George N. Neise, the newly appointed West Point–trained commander of the troop, clashes with his second-in-command, Sgt. Wade McCoy, Chuck Connors, a seasoned veteran of the tomahawk trail. Davenport’s unfamiliarity with the West and a brittle mask of arrogance heighten the strain between them, and their uneasy dynamic sets the tone for a dangerous trek ahead.
A misjudgment under pressure leaves the platoon without ammunition and supply wagons during an Apache attack. That night, the Indians return, steal the horses, and force the men to trudge on foot through the desert toward Ft. Bowie. The troops grow resentful as Davenport’s perceived incompetence and condescending attitude fuel resentment, especially when he accuses McCoy of cowardice after constant criticisms.
The danger escalates when the unit is drawn into a skirmish with a band of braves, and two young women are captured: Ellen Carter, Susan Cummings, the daughter of the Ft. Defiance commander, and Tula, Lisa Montell, the daughter of the Apache chief Victorio. Davenport, heated by the sun, accuses Ellen of being an Apache squaw and orders both women bound, prompting McCoy to rebel and seize command. Davenport collapses from sunstroke, his grip on authority slipping just as the heat and dust take their toll.
That night, Pvt. Barrow, one of the new recruits, attacks Tula, and McCoy’s intervention earns Barrow’s lasting enmity. Throughout the assault, Tula remains quiet, having promised McCoy she would not cry out and alert the Indians. On the march back to the fort, Davenport begins to regain his balance, but McCoy fears a court-martial; Pvt. Reynolds, John Smith, a friend and confidant, reassures him that he has done the right thing.
When they reach Ft. Bowie, they discover the garrison massacred. Davenport, raving again, addresses the dead commander and then collapses, and Pvt. Miller, Harry Dean Stanton, blames McCoy for his superior’s condition. McCoy initially decides to push on toward Fort Benson, but after conferring with his men, he chooses to stay and defend the fort.
That night, as Apache drums echo in the distance, Pvt. Macy assaults Ellen, whom she defends and who kills him. Later, Ellen confides to Tula that she has fallen in love with McCoy and pleads with her to beg her father to end the warfare. Soon after, a band of Indians attacks and fells Davenport with an arrow.
McCoy and his men drive off the first wave, while Johnny Dogwood, the troop’s scout, listens to the drums and warns Victorio that Tula has defected to the white man. Tula takes a perilous risk to meet her father by climbing the fort wall, but two braves seize her and take her to Victorio. After a heartfelt reunion, Victorio calls off the assault and the Indians ride away. Miller then pledges to support McCoy at the inquiry, and Ellen and McCoy share a quiet, relieved embrace.
