| Director | Potsy Ponciroli |
|---|---|
| Budget | $1.5 million |
| Box office | $42,068 |
In 1906, widower Henry McCarty and his son Wyatt reside on a farm in the Oklahoma Territory, near that of Henry's brother-in-law, Al. After a lost horse appears on their farm with a bloodstained saddle, Henry locates its owner, a man named Curry, who is near death. A pistol and a satchel filled with money are found beside Curry. Initially disinclined to intervene, Henry departs on horseback, intending to leave the wounded man there. However, he reconsiders, returning to the farm with the unconscious Curry and the satchel. Henry subsequently questions Curry, who identifies himself as a sheriff and the only survivor of a posse dispatched to apprehend a group of outlaws. Curry requests assistance in preventing the outlaws from recovering the stolen money.
After Henry leaves to get the doctor, Wyatt surreptitiously takes Curry's firearm to practice his marksmanship. Curry breaks free and attempts to retrieve the weapon, but Henry intervenes, subduing him. Henry discloses that he reversed course after observing three individuals examining the location where he discovered Curry. The group, led by Sam Ketchum and displaying lawmen's badges, arrive at the farm seeking Curry. They allege that Curry is the true outlaw, but their inquiries into Henry's identity and family raise his concerns.
Following a tense standoff, the men depart, and Henry keeps Curry tied up. Later that evening, Curry shares intimate knowledge of individuals known to Henry, prompting Henry to untie one of his hands. Curry tells him that, as a young ranch hand, he witnessed the death of Billy the Kid. Dugan, one of Ketchum's men, then attempts to ambush Henry, but Henry discovers him, forcing him out with a shotgun and subsequently strangling him in front of Wyatt.
The following morning, Ketchum and his gang return. Curry urges Henry to surrender, arguing that he and Wyatt should not sacrifice themselves for him. However, Ketchum reveals he has taken Al hostage and, when Henry refuses to surrender, shoots Al. After preventing his son from running outside, Henry arms himself, instructing Wyatt to "Keep your damn head down, you'll be alright." Curry recognizes this phrase as an instruction Billy the Kid gave him when he was a boy, realizing that Henry is indeed Billy the Kid and that he and Pat Garrett faked his death.
Henry pretends to surrender before shooting Ketchum, gunning down several men, re-entering the farmhouse and then slipping out the back door. While Curry and Wyatt hold off the remaining gang members, Henry stealthily eliminates the gang until only Stilwell, the gang's tracker, is left. Stilwell tosses his guns and tries to throw a knife, but Henry shoots it out of his hand and then shoots him through his eye.
The situation escalates as Ketchum reappears, revealing that Henry's shot only inflicted a facial wound. A tense exchange of gunfire ensues, ending when Ketchum runs out of bullets; Henry kills him. Upon returning to the house, Henry prepares to treat the wounded Curry, only to discover a criminal brand on his arm. Curry shoots Henry in the abdomen, after which he confesses his true identity as a sheriff who joined Ketchum's gang with his deputies but then tried to get away on realizing that Ketchum intended to kill them. Curry expresses remorse, because Henry had been good to him when he was a boy, but then adds that he will now be the man who killed Billy the Kid.
Wyatt arrives and kills Curry before he can shoot Henry again. Before dying, Henry speaks of his own regrets, but expresses pride in his son along with his hope that Wyatt will find his place in the world. Wyatt buries his father alongside his mother and then leaves the farm, presumably taking the gang's money with him.