Red River

In 1851 Tom Dunson and his old friend Groot are on their way to Texas to become settlers and raise cattle. They make a halt before crossing Red River, which runs along the Texan border. Suddenly an orphan boy, called Matt Garth, turns up, leading a cow. 14 years later Tom has a herd of 10,000 heads, and Matt is a young man, trained by Tom to become a skilled gunman. The Civil War has taken all money out of the South, so Tom is unable to sell any beef in Texas. In his desperate situation he decides to drive his herd the 1000 miles to Missouri, an almost impossible undertaking. After 60 days through desert country, little sleep and not much food left, his men are sullen and morose. When three of them try to desert, Tom shoots them. After the herd has crossed Red River, Tom's cowboys try to convince him to drive the herd to Kansas instead, on a safer trail, but Tom is stubborn and refuses. When he is going to hang two deserters, Matt stops him, takes over the leadership and turns the herd towards Abilene in Kansas. Tom says that he will stalk them and kill Matt.