While looking for water, Favor and Hey Soos see a runaway stagecoach; after they stop it, the mortally-wounded driver falls off. The five passengers--a bickering theatrical couple, an Army lieutenant, a lonely woman, and a white man (Domingo)--tell Favor it appeared to be an Apache attack. Favor agrees to guide them to the next station while he also looks for water. Except for horses the station is deserted, which puts Favor on edge. As he spots the station manager's body in the well, he is wounded by a gun shot. Favor and the five passengers take refuge in the station but have few supplies. Favor surmises that the Apaches are after Domingo, since he knew about them and admits to having lived with them for 16 years. They want him after fighting and killing one of them for a female Mexican captive. Domingo is suspected of being the infamous thought-dead bandit Joaquin Carrillo Murrieta. Lt. Carter tries to ride for help but returns mortally wounded. As time passes and supplies become short, Favor waits for help but others make their own decisions as the waiting grinds on them.
—Anonymous