Gentle Annie

1901. Following what is obviously a novice but successful holdup of a train by three unknown masked men, one who was identified by witnesses as Indian, US Marshal Lloyd Richland travels to Pohoka City in the Oklahoma Territory, the nearest town to where the holdup occurred and where evidence was found, to see if he can recover the stolen loot and bring the perpetrators to justice. It may be a tough task as Pohoka City is filled with criminal types, chief among them being the town's sheriff and saloon owner, Tatum. Lloyd masquerades as drifter Rich Williams on his way to California not to arouse suspicion by anyone in town about his real purpose for being there. Upon his auspicious arrival, Rich learns the early scuttlebutt is that the crime was committed by the Goss brothers, Cottonwood and Violet, but those rumors are dampened by associated rumors that they have a gold mine on their farm property outside of town which would negate them having to rob anything, and that they have never been known to associate with Indians. The truth is is that Cotton and Vi did rob the train, with the Indian being their widowed, boisterous mother, Annie Goss, who they affectionately refer to as Muddy, only, with her long hair braided, looking like an Indian upon quick glance. The gold mine is a rumor started by them to steer any suspicion away. What they are hoping to do is buy back their old property in Missouri where Muddy wants to move back to, their haul from the robbery not enough to do so. In getting to know the Gosses in finding out conclusively if they did rob the train, Rich learns that they are poor but kind and generous people who will give the proverbial shirts off their back to help others at the expense of their own dreams and without anything expected in return. That kindness is demonstrated by they taking in a penniless, young woman - permanently if she so desires - named Mary Lingen, who came to Pohoka City in hopes of finding a place she could call home, and in not finding it there is trying to make her way back to St. Louis. If Rich discovers the truth, he will have to balance his feelings for the Gosses against the rule of law. Factored into what happens is the long standing feud between the Gosses and Tatum, who seems to want any excuse to get rid of them once and for all.