These Thousand Hills

Cowpokes Lat Evans and Tom Ping join a cattle drive to Wyoming. There, they win good money in a horse race and they decide to remain in town. In the local saloon, Evans befriends saloon girl Callie. Jehu, an unscrupulous rancher who uses Callie's services, resents Evans. Later, Evans and Tom Ping go into the hills to hunt wolves for their hides. During the harsh winter, the two friends encounter hard times and argue. They agree to split. Evans is attacked by a small group of Indians bent on stealing his horse. The Indians shoot Evans but the shot is heard by Ping who returns to save Evans from sure death. He takes the wounded Evans to the nearby town where Evans recuperates during the following months at Callie's home. In the spring, Evans is restless to become successful and asks the local banker, Marshal Conrad, for a loan to start his own cattle ranch. Callie gives Evans her life savings to help him secure a loan. He makes Tom Ping his partner. Evans' fortunes improve when his ranch prospers while his neighbors' ranches falter during a hard winter. Eventually, Evans will marry the banker's niece, Joyce. He will dissolve his partnership with his friend, Tom. He enters politics and befriends the other wealthy ranchers from the region. When some cattle and horses are stolen by thieves, Evans is persuaded by the other ranchers, including Jehu, to join their vigilante group in charge of catching and lynching the culprits. Evans is shocked to find out that one of the rustlers is his old friend Tom. Jehu and the others, full of hatred and vengeance, want to hang Tom but Evans reminds them that lynching is illegal and everyone is entitled to a trial. This stance will bring Evans and Jehu on a deadly collision course.