This is a western movie with two men set for the same property and the same woman. Rafe Covington is aboard ship coming into San Francisco when the captain beats his friend, Charles Rodney, to death. He promises his friend to look after his wife and his Wyoming ranch. Two boat mates join him in the trip to Wyoming, Rock (David O'Hara) and J.T. (Christian Kane). Upon arriving in Wyoming he meets an old friend of Rodney's who helped on the ranch, Joe (Wilford Brimley). On the other side Bruce Barkow (Mark Harmon) has been wooing Mrs. Rodney (Virginia Madsen). She is convinced her husband died a year ago rather than just a few weeks.
They take to the ranch and begin improving things and herding up the scattered herd. However Barkow with the sheriff says they have three days to vacate. Covington in the meantime has been wooing the widow, and trying to convince her of the story that her husband was shanghaied, by someone who wanted his property. There is oil on the property.
Barkow hires a killer to take care of his problems--meaning the new ranchers. He forces Mrs. Rodney to marry him even though she does not say "I do." She also murders the bar tender, and his hired gun murders one of Covington's friends, J.T. There is bound to be a big fight at the end.
I always like Tom Selleck, and Mark Harmon makes a very bad guy who is use to getting his way. The Louis L'Amour movies are always entertaining.
