Captain Robert Holman (Michael Forest) is accused of murdering his immediate superior, the locally venerated Colonel Charles DeVier. The town even erected a monument to Col. DeVier, whom they believe died by Indian torture rather than betray his men. Even though it means leaving his young bride, Madaline (Joyce Meadows), who happens to be DeVier's own sister, there's a secret Holman is willing to take to his grave in order to preserve the honor of the corps and to spare Madaline's family the pain of knowing the truth. Her remaining brother, Edward (Walter Brooke), is a smarmy politician with the governor's mansion in his sights, and he's willing to use even deadly means to get there. It's a complex tale involving one powerful family and also the U. S. Army's relationship with the Comanche tribe they decimated after the massacre of DeVier's troops. But there's more to the story and, since Holman remains tight-lipped even in the shadow of the gallows, it's up to Cheyenne Bodie to find the truth. He doesn't believe that his old friend, who served so well with him in the 25th Cavalry, is a cold-blooded killer, and Cheyenne's determined to prove it.
To do that, he must find the only living witnesses to the events leading up to the massacre. Besides Holman, there are only two--a trapper named Renant and the Comanche chief, Spotted Bull. Bodie finds Renant (Mickey Simpson) but a sharpshooter nails him before he can tell Bodie the whole story. With only a day to spare before Holman's execution, Cheyenne finds the chief in Yuma. After the Army's defeat of his tribe, Spotted Bull had been reduced to shilling for a cheesy traveling medicine show to make money to help feed his people. Spotted Bull (Frank DeKova) is bitter over the plight of his people at the hands of the white man. Although he agrees to return with Cheyenne, he refuses at first to come to Holman's defense. It takes some fancy footwork on Cheyenne's part ("To save the life of an enemy is worthy of song") to convince the weary old chief to tell the assemblage what really happened. With moments to spare, the noose is removed from around Holman's neck. He and Madaline can at last go on their honeymoon, and Edward DeVier gets a well-deserved slug on the jaw by one of Cheyenne Bodie's powerful fists.
There's more than a little conflict underlying this story, with injustice and greed dominating; at the same time, there's a glimmer of optimism that both sides can someday understand each other and live in peace. As long as there are men like Edward DeVier, the chances are slim; but as long as there are men like Cheyenne Bodie, there's reason to hope.
To do that, he must find the only living witnesses to the events leading up to the massacre. Besides Holman, there are only two--a trapper named Renant and the Comanche chief, Spotted Bull. Bodie finds Renant (Mickey Simpson) but a sharpshooter nails him before he can tell Bodie the whole story. With only a day to spare before Holman's execution, Cheyenne finds the chief in Yuma. After the Army's defeat of his tribe, Spotted Bull had been reduced to shilling for a cheesy traveling medicine show to make money to help feed his people. Spotted Bull (Frank DeKova) is bitter over the plight of his people at the hands of the white man. Although he agrees to return with Cheyenne, he refuses at first to come to Holman's defense. It takes some fancy footwork on Cheyenne's part ("To save the life of an enemy is worthy of song") to convince the weary old chief to tell the assemblage what really happened. With moments to spare, the noose is removed from around Holman's neck. He and Madaline can at last go on their honeymoon, and Edward DeVier gets a well-deserved slug on the jaw by one of Cheyenne Bodie's powerful fists.
There's more than a little conflict underlying this story, with injustice and greed dominating; at the same time, there's a glimmer of optimism that both sides can someday understand each other and live in peace. As long as there are men like Edward DeVier, the chances are slim; but as long as there are men like Cheyenne Bodie, there's reason to hope.
