William Holden plays Capt. Roper, a no-nonsense Union cavalry commander stationed at a Western outpost in Arizona during the Civil War. The fort doubles as a Confederate prisoner of war camp, and Roper’s the man responsible for tracking down those who try to escape. Then lovely Carla Forester (Eleanor Parker) arrives at Bravo to take part in her best friend’s wedding. She has an ulterior motive as well, helping her love — Confederate officer John Marsh (John Forsythe) — and three of his men escape. To do that, she charms Roper to the point where he proposes marriage, only to wake up one morning and find his lady love and four prisoners missing. Notorious for being heartless before Carla’s arrival, he sets out on their trail and catches up with them. But so do the Apaches.