Gun Brothers

In 1879 Wyoming, Chad Santee, a recently discharged Cavalry sergeant, travels by stagecoach to Laramie with saloon singer Rose Fargo and gambler Blackjack Silk. Chad tells the friendly Rose about his plans to become partners with his once wild brother Jubal, who now owns a large cattle ranch outside Laramie. Unknown to Chad, Jubal heads an outlaw gang called the Nighthawks and is about to rob the stage. As the masked outlaws shoot the driver and surround the stage, Chad tells Rose and Blackjack that he will create a diversion, but, fearful of reprisals, Blackjack knocks Chad unconscious. When Jubal's cohort, Shawnee Jack, takes from Rose her mother's brooch, she angrily reveals that Blackjack has money in his boot. After the outlaws leave, Chad comes to and, seeing Blackjack slap Rose, knocks him down. That night, as the trio camps near the stage, a posse arrives, headed by Sheriff Jorgen and Chad's former commander, Yellowstone Kelly. The sheriff, whose brother was the stage driver, vows to find the outlaws. Once in town, Chad asks Yellowstone about his brother's ranch, but Yellowstone has never heard of it and suggests that Chad come with him to trap fur near Jackson Hole. Chad declines, then goes to see Rose to give her a bracelet to replace the brooch. While they are talking, Shawnee approaches Chad and promises to take him to his brother. Rose is suspicious of Shawnee, even though she does not recognize him, but Chad leaves with him and his companion, a Cheyenne woman named Meeteetse. On the trail, Chad shows Meeteetse kindnesses that touch her. When they reach Jubal's cabin in the mountains, Chad immediately realizes that it is a hideout rather than a ranch and accuses his brother of still taking a wrong path. At breakfast, Chad sees Meeteetse wearing Rose's brooch and confronts Shawnee, who gave it to her. After Jubal breaks up a fight, Chad says he is taking Yellowstone up on his offer and asks his brother to join him. Jubal answers that he needs one more chance to get a large stake, then tells Meeteetse to guide Chad to Jackson Hole. Shawnee is sure Chad will turn them in for the $5,000 reward, but Chad says that Jubal is still his brother and leaves with Meeteetse. In town, Chad goes to the saloon to see Rose, incurring Meeteetse's jealousy. After returning the brooch to Rose, Chad asks her to come with him to Jackson Hole, but she will not commit, saying that he must tell the sheriff about Jubal's hideout because so many people have died. Chad refuses, but while he and Rose are talking, Blackjack, who has been observing them, summons the sheriff and implies that the brooch proves Chad was in on the robbery. Rather than implicate Jubal, Chad jumps out the window and flees with Meeteetse, but is wounded by the sheriff's men. When Rose returns to her room, she finds Meeteetse ripping apart her petticoats. Although initially angry, Rose agrees to help when Meeteetse says that she needs bandages for the wounded Chad. As the women are leaving, they are seen by Blackjack, who tries to stop them, but Meeteetse stabs him to death. Rose and Meeteetse then take Chad to the cabin, where Jubal orders Shawnee to remove the bullet. Shawnee agrees, but insists on having Rose in exchange. As Chad regains his strength, he suggests that Rose return to town, but she cannot because of her involvement in Blackjack's death and promises to go with Chad to Jackson Hole. Realizing that Chad loves Rose, Meeteetse rides into town and offers to lead the sheriff to the Nighthawks in exchange for Chad's freedom and a promise that Rose will be sent to jail. Some time later, Chad asks Rose to marry him but she refuses, fearing that his feelings for his brother will always haunt them. Because Chad is concerned that Jubal is losing control of the gang to Shawnee, he decides that he and Rose should sneak away from camp that night. Later, while Chad pretends to be sleeping, Jubal tells Shawnee to take Rose now as Chad has threatened to kill anyone who touches her. Shawnee finds Rose outside, but as he starts to attack her, he is interrupted by Chad, who shoots at Shawnee, then rides away with Rose. When they see Meeteetse leading a posse toward the cabin, Chad wants to warn Jubal but Rose convinces him that his brother has brought this on himself. After observing a fierce gun battle, Chad is certain that Jubal is dead and leaves with Rose. Later, a badly wounded Jubal finds Meeteetse and demands to know what happened. When she says that Chad brought the sheriff, Jubal hits her hard and knocks her down, then accuses her of lying, but she dies before admitting she lied. Shawnee arrives a few minutes later and convinces Jubal that Meeteetse was telling the truth. Jubal feels betrayed and determines to punish Chad. After the long journey to Jackson Hole, Chad and Rose find Yellowstone at the fur trader's outpost. Touched by the warm reception from Yellowstone, trading post proprietor Moose MacLain and his wife Molly, Rose asks a Mormon preacher to perform a wedding for herself and Chad. As the months pass, Rose and Chad are happy in their little cabin and look forward to a new baby. Meanwhile, Shawnee and Jubal have traveled to Jackson Hole. Jubal refuses to take a clear shot at Chad when he sees him in the distance and tells Shawnee that they should wait until spring to attack the trading post, when the trappers have collected all of their furs. Although Shawnee worries that Jubal is softening toward Chad, they gather a new gang and one night barge into Rose and Chad's cabin. When Jubal confronts Chad over summoning the sheriff, Chad denies it, then Rose admits that she had begged Chad to turn Jubal in but he refused. Now Jubal realizes that Meeteetse had been lying and refuses to harm his brother, but Shawnee draws a gun on them and leaves, promising to return with the rest of the gang. As Chad and Jubal talk about old times, and Jubal apologizes to Rose, they fortify the cabin. When the siege begins, Rose and Chad fend off the gang but notice that Jubal has left. Rose thinks he has joined Shawnee, but they can hear him shouting to Shawnee and realize that Jubal is luring his former partner into a trap. As Shawnee and his men ride toward the cabin, Jubal joins Rose and Chad and shoots some of the men. After his cohorts flee, Shawnee wounds Chad. Jubal then mortally wounds Shawnee, who, in turn, shoots Jubal. Rose holds Jubal's hand as he dies, saying he tried to roll back the years. Several months later, Rose gives birth to a baby girl, whom she and Chad name Jubalee.