Starring Kirk Douglas, Walter Matthau, and Elsa Martinelli. Beautifully filmed in Cinemascope and Technicolor on location in Bend, Oregon.

After the end of the Civil War, former Confederate soldier and frontier scout Johnny Hawks heads to Sioux country, where he meets his old friend, Chief Red Cloud. Although Red Cloud says that Johnny can stay the night, he is clearly suspicious of him. Soon, Johnny learns the reason: gold has been found on Sioux land, and the white man has been trying to rob the Sioux of it ever since.

As Johnny washes up at a nearby stream, he sees Red Cloud’s daughter, Onahti. He remembers her as a little girl and cannot believe how grown up and beautiful she is now. Johnny kisses her, but she makes him stop. Now Johnny can’t get her out of his mind.

Todd and Chivington, two men traveling with the wagon train Johnny has been hired to lead, hear about the Sioux gold and are determined to steal it. They try to swap whiskey for gold with one of the Sioux men, but when he refuses, Todd shoots him dead.

Todd is quickly caught by the tribe but Chivington gets away. Although Todd tries to blame the murder on his accomplice, the Sioux plan to burn him alive. Johnny manages to prevail on Red Cloud to let him take Todd to the fort as a prisoner.

Johnny does everything he can to keep the peace, including getting Captain Trask from the fort to sign a peace treaty with Chief Red Cloud. But tensions are mounting and the risk of attack remains high as Johnny sets out to guide a group of wagons along the trail to the Oregon territory, where settlers can claim free land.

But the road ahead is perilous and runs right through Sioux territory. Can Johnny keep the souls on his wagon train safe from attack? Can he prevent Todd and Chivington from committing more crimes? Does he have the strength to stay away from Onhati – and avoid the wrath of Chief Red Cloud?

Most of all, does Johnny Hawks, respected Indian fighter, have what it takes to make it out of this alive?