The Broken Star

Arizona deputy marshal Frank Smead watches from a distance as a rancher delivers a water-rights payment to Carlos Alvarado, who works for land baron Thornton Wills. As Frank rides off, he discovers a dead cow and drags it away, then rides back to Alvarado's house and, unaware that Apache handyman Nachez is watching, shoots Alvarado to death and steals a bag of money. Back in town, Frank tells U.S. Marshal Wayne Forrester and Deputy Bill Gentry that he caught Alvarado rustling and shot him in self-defense, producing the hide from the dead cow as evidence. At Alvarado's place, Bill tells Doc Mott, the town's coroner and undertaker, that Alvarado's next of kin is his cousin Conchita, who sings at the local saloon and is engaged to Bill. Bill and Doc enter the house, where they encounter two armed men, Messendyke and Van Horn, who demand to know who killed Alvarado. The men claim that Alvarado worked for them, that they work for someone much higher up and that something valuable is missing. At the saloon, Frank is watching Conchita perform when Messendyke and Van Horn come in and order him to come to a meeting at Wills's ranch. Later, at her rooming house, Conchita is ambushed by Messendyke and Van Horn, who demand information on Alvarado's activities. Her screams attract Bill, who comes to her rescue and arrests the men. Frank goes to Wills's ranch, where a square dance is taking place. Wills tells him that $8,000 in gold pieces is missing from Alvarado's home, and pride demands that he get the cash back. However, Frank denies any knowledge of the money. At the marshal's office, where corrupt Indian agent Hiram Charleton has just posted bail for Messendyke and Van Horn, Forrester reminds Bill that they should wait until Frank's story is checked before assuming it is true. Bill explains that, two years ago, when he was involved in a controversial shooting, Frank stopped a mob from lynching him and gathered evidence to exonerate him. Meanwhile, Wills tells Messendyke and Van Horn that he suspects Conchita of engineering the theft of his money, in cahoots with Frank. Nachez comes to the marshal's office to give his account of the shooting, but because he speaks only Spanish, he writes out his statement, then identifies Frank from a picture. Nachez then meets Conchita on the street and tells her in Spanish what happened to her cousin. Forrester asks Bill to take the note to a Spanish-speaking judge for a translation. On his way, Bill is intercepted by Mrs. Trail, Conchita's landlady. Mrs. Trail takes him to Conchita, who has been badly beaten by Messendyke and Van Horn and begs Bill to stay, saying she has something to tell him about Frank, but Bill storms out in search of her assailants. Bill finds Messendyke and Van Horn in a saloon, where he disarms them and, after a lengthy fistfight, defeats them. Back at Conchita's, Bill expresses disbelief at the news of Frank's deeds. Conchita translates Nachez's statement, which indicates that Alvarado was unarmed, and tells Bill that Nachez said he followed Frank to the old mine. Meanwhile, outside the Apache reservation, Frank waylays Nachez, who tells him in Spanish that Conchita knows everything. Frank takes Nachez to the mine and kills him, but is discovered by Bill. Frank disarms Bill and takes him into the mine, but cannot bring himself to shoot Bill in the back, so knocks him out and ties him up. The marshal and his posse chase Frank onto the reservation, where Frank offers to pay Charleton if he will hide him and help him escape. Charleton lies to the marshal, and when the posse rides off, informs Frank that Nachez told him everything and demands $4,000 for his assistance. Frank agrees to meet Charleton's representative later on to exchange money for horses. When Frank shows up for his appointment, Messendyke and Van Horn are waiting. Frank has attempted to swindle Charleton, and a gunfight breaks out in which Van Horn is killed. Frank escapes and returns to the mine for the rest of his money. With the posse closing in on him, Frank searches for Bill, who has managed to untie himself and hide. The two lawmen have a showdown in the mine shaft, and Bill kills Frank. Later, Bill and Conchita get married and leave for Bill's new job as marshal of the northern territory.