Plot

Rafe promises a dying friend to look after his wife and 40,000 acre ranch in Wyoming. A powerful businessman wants the ranch and widow by whatever means necessary.

Rafe Covington promises a dying friend that he'll watch over the man's wife and ranch after he's gone. When Rafe gets to his friend's ranch, he finds that Barkow, the local power in town, wants not only the ranch but the woman, too, and hires a gang of gunfighters to make sure he gets both.—frankfob2@yahoo.com

Based on Louie LAmour's 1954 book.

1880 Rafe Covington (Tom Selleck) is a sailor on a freighter at sea out of San Francisco. His friend, Charles Rodney, has been severely beaten by the captain. As he dies, Rodney evokes a promise from Covington to take care of his wife and ranch. Furious, Covington kills the captain. Two sailors join his mutiny.

Six weeks later, Covington and his sailor buddies travel to Rodneys ranch in Wyoming.

When Covington arrives in town, mentioning he was Rodneys friend causes hostile men to confront him. They claim Indians killed Rodney a year ago just outside town.

He also meets Rodneys widow (Virginia Madsen), the schoolmarm, a beautiful, intelligent, spunky woman, whos having trouble making her mortgage payments on the ranch to the town boss, Bruce Barkow (Mark Harmon). She lives in town now. The ranch is going to seed.

Covington is instantly attracted to her, but a very dandy and overly polite Barkow is already her fiancé. Hes also the big bad who wants the Rodney ranch.

One friendly face is Joe Gill (Wilford Brimley), Rodneys former ranch hand. He joins Covington on the ranch. The 4 men set to ranching horses and cattle.

Covington finds an Indian chiefs daughter in the woods with a broken leg. He tends to her. Three scruffy men from town arrive claiming they own the squaw. Covington chases them off. But then the Chief and his braves show up, angry because they believe Covington has hurt the princess. However, the daughter speaks up for Covington.

Rodney had bought the ranch from the chief, so Covington tells him he promised Rodney to take care of the ranch. The chief is good with this. The Indians leave.

Covington tells the widow her husband died just 6 weeks ago at sea. This puzzles her.

Covington also tells her Rodney had sold his real estate holdings in San Francisco to pay his mortgage, but then he was robbed and shanghaied as a sailor on the freighter.

The scruffy men work for Barkow. The scruffy man who claimed he owned the Indian chiefs daughter challenges Covington to a gunfight. Covington wins and then shoots a scruffy back-shooter. Barkow gives Covington and his men three days to get off the ranch.

Oil, which is valuable for making kerosene and asphalt, has been found on the some of the local ranches. But the oil is bad for farming, so Barkow has been buying up these ranches cheap.

Barkow sends for Beau Dorn (Brad Johnson), a professional killer.

On the Rodney ranch, Covington finds the neglected grave of Rodneys 4-month-old daughter. He fixes it up and places flowers on it. Later, the widow rides by. She sees the cared for grave. It touches her.

Later she stands up to Barkow when he announces hes throwing Covington off the ranch. She still owns it, so shell decide whos allowed on her property. When Covington comes to town they have their first friendly conversation.

Bo Dorn demands the Rodney ranch and the widow as payment for killing Covington. Barkow just smiles.

Barkow proposes marriage.

Dorn rides off looking threatening. The widow sees him leave and rides off to warn Covington. At the ranch, Dorn pulls out his sniper rifle. The widow kisses Covington.

The scene is constructed to look as though Dorn is aiming at Covington, but instead he is elsewhere and shoots one of the ranch hands. Covington hears the shot and rides off toward it.

Back in town, Barkow coerces the widow to marry him. He even shoots the bartender (William Sanderson) when he objects to the ceremony. This gives him control of her ranch. But when he tries to take his honeymoon privilege, she resists, so Barkow knocks her out. He plans to return when she wakes for his husbandly rights.

Covington and his friends bury the dead ranch hand, and then prepare for war. They ride to town.

Dorn has prepared a snipers nest in the church steeple. Barkows men are scattered around town. Big shoot out.

Covington and Dorn stalk each other on horseback, riding over the towns wooden sidewalks and in-between buildings.

A herd of cattle is set loose in the street to add more chaos. Some townsfolk join the fight with Covington. Covington kills Dorn. Joe Gill gets winged. Barkow shoots Covington in the back wounding him and as he is about to finish him off, the widow shoots Barkow in the back killing him.

Looks certain Covington will get the girl.