On 17 September 1871, twenty-nine prisoners escape
from the penitentiary in Carson City, Nevada, and five weeks later,
the six who have not yet been captured trek through the mountains to
California. A fierce blizzard forces the sheriff's posse to
return to Nevada, although they are certain that the convicts will
freeze to death.
One of the men does die, but the remaining escapees—James
Canfield, Johnny Greer, Edward "Limey" Cockerell, Clyde Maxwell and
Matt Anderson—struggle on until they reach
a small settlement near Monte Diablo Lake. Inhabiting the outpost is
a group of women whose men have been gone for months in search of
silver. The women, including Granny, Marcia Stoddard, Rachel
and Harriet Purcell and her teenaged daughter Barbara, are unnerved
by the convicts' appearance, especially when Marcia notices that
they are wearing leg irons. Canfield upbraids Marcia for her
condemnation of them, and his plea for decency persuades Granny to
give them supplies and the use of an empty cabin. Canfield
reacts strongly when he learns that the cabin belongs to Rudy
Schaeffer and that Marcia is engaged to Rudy, but will not explain
his interest.
Granny organizes the women and orders them to hide
their firearms under her bed, while the unscrupulous Greer plots on
how to steal the guns. He also pressures Canfield to reveal
the location of money Canfield allegedly stole when he killed mine
owner Clifford Morgan. Canfield denies that he stole the money
and refuses to explain his insistence on coming to Monte Diablo.
The next day, Clyde's fever worsens, and Rachel and
Marcia take medicine to the men's cabin. While Greer
aggressively flirts with Rachel, Canfield questions Marcia about
Rudy. Although she is intrigued by Canfield, Marcia is wary of
his questions, and the women soon depart. That night, Rachel,
nervous about being outside alone, accidentally sets the barn on
fire. The men aid the women in salvaging the stock and
supplies, and in gratitude, the women cook dinner for them.
The next day, Greer sends Anderson and Limey to
search for guns, then orders the recovered Clyde not to go outside
because of his propensity for harming women. Meanwhile,
Canfield talks with Marcia and Granny in Granny's cabin, where he
succeeds in grabbing Granny's pistol. Nonetheless, Granny
assures Marcia that Canfield is "no gallows bird," and Marcia rushes
out to him. Canfield reveals that he has come to kill Rudy,
whose perjured testimony helped convict him of killing and robbing
Morgan. Hoping to find the missing money and prevent Canfield
from killing Rudy, Marcia asks Rachel for permission to search
Rudy's trunk, but she refuses. Marcia then rides off to find
Rudy, while Barbara innocently flirts with Clyde.
Upon learning that Marcia has left, Greer wants to
send Anderson after her, but Canfield goes instead to protect her.
While Canfield looks for Marcia, Greer sneaks into Rachel's cabin,
and she succumbs to his embrace. Canfield finds Marcia taking
shelter in a cave, where she pleads with him not to kill Rudy
because he has been so kind to her. Canfield confesses that
although he did kill Morgan, an embezzler, in self-defense, he did
not steal his money or kill him in cold blood, as Rudy had
testified. Canfield then wonders if Marcia is marrying Rudy
out of gratitude rather than love, and unable to deny their
attraction, they kiss. Marcia then asks Canfield to forego his
revenge, for her sake as well as his, but Canfield regretfully
asserts that it is too late.
Back at the lake, Greer makes himself at home in
Rachel's cabin, and Rachel, fearful of spending the rest of her life
alone, begs Greer to take her with him when he leaves. Rachel
even reveals where the guns are hidden, and Greer, Limey and
Anderson steal them from Granny.
Meanwhile, in a nearby town, Rudy and his friends see
wanted posters for the convicts and, fearing that they have reached
the lake, immediately head for home. In the morning, Harriet
searches for Barbara, who has snuck off with Clyde, while Greer and
his men prepare to leave. As Canfield and Marcia ride back to
the lake, they see Barbara walking with Clyde, and Canfield sends
Marcia ahead while he investigates. Clyde tries to kiss
Barbara, and when the frightened girl pushes him away, pulls a knife
on her. Canfield fights with Clyde for the knife, while the
women, responding to Barbara's cries, arrive and kill Clyde with
pitchforks. Barbara prevents them from attacking the wounded
Canfield, but he is captured by Greer. As Greer is beating
Canfield to find out where the money is, Marcia goes to Rachel, who
confesses that she found the money in Rudy's belongings.
After Marcia gives the money to Greer, however, the
men arrive and a shootout begins. Anderson and Limey are shot,
and the men pursue the fleeing Greer, who falls off a cliff to his
death. Canfield remains behind to confront Rudy and, resisting
his impulse to kill him, Canfield orders him to confess his crimes
when the others return. Unaware of Canfield's intentions,
Marcia distracts him by shouting, and when Rudy attempts to shoot
him, Canfield kills him.
Later, after the convicts and Rudy have been buried,
Marcia tells her friends that Canfield is a good man and should not
be punished. When Sheriff Bramwell arrives, Granny lets him
believe that the five graves belong to the five convicts, and not
even Rachel speaks against Canfield. Ultimately, Canfield and Marcia
strike out on their own, and the lake is renamed Convict Lake.
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