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　　Wh%il,_?(e sur@;veying a (+telegra-ph line in 1861, Wes#?tern Uni
$o[ n) engin-eer Ed.ward C.$reigh% ton (Dea)-^n /_J]*agger)::;^) is #)sever;e;*ly ?injured in an ac)cident.[+ He .*is discovere!$d by V.(@ance Sha\-w (^?Ra!)\ndolph Scott), an out:law _on the run% from a p\ ,osse. Forced to* =/.t?ravel on foot after his : ho]rse was h[*urt, S!h aw at first^ consi \-de+rs$ steali@ ng Cre-ight[\on's h#orse, but cha]+
ng+/es h!

is mi/nd [and t``ake?s the man wi#%th him, sa*]ving his l[ ife.　,`　]*So: metime later, f oll)+(o@!`$-w.%/ing hi.+s rec,ov%ery, Creighton returns to \_Omaha , Nebras__``ka/ .\and plans + -.t$.he -construc
tio]!n of a telegr\ap=h lin-e % ??fro#
m Omaha to Salt Lake City,( -:]%^Utah.]. F@acing considerab =le@; oppositi![on t`[o the=# l \/ine from Confederate s ^]!oldi@ers-^_, Ind\]ians, and outl`[^aws, Cr?`+eighton+^` e-_licits the h*^e*;lp of hi?$%s sister S]=#u*;e=;? (Virginia Gi)@l[more), f/ -oreman Pat Grogan (M i(_nor Wats[^on), and as/ sis/\@tant Home;r Kettle (Chill +_?W,]il;ls).　　Looking to put hi/-,%s outlaw pa. +s^t be`hind him, Shaw arrives at; Cre#\ighton's ,-=Western U;$*nio#
#=^n _ offic,e %l
^ooking fo*/)r h.ones?+t wo+**rk a#,nd is hired as a s/#cout![! by Grogan * who is unaware$^ %%of )#h-$is past. Creighton-+ r!@ecogniz%: @
es#
@ him amo)ng t(!he men and allows him to stay =-despite his suspicions. Crei*ghton:,]@ also hire%_s tenderfo ]ot `Rich%^ard Blake,! (Ro`\be(;r-#t Young), a Harvard-educated= enginee):!r-*._ as $a fav_`+or to Bla$;ke\!9s fat,=her. S[! ,haw and_ Bla(.,ke are b oth. #/!!attracted \+to Sue and vie fo: r(* her att(%ention, but their r!?$;omantic rivalr %y is?+ c_( [ut short when:=! construction of th%:e tele:+gra#_ ph line starts [on July 4, 18\)61.　　After .work comm!%ences on t@
h?(%e li[%\ne, one of the men i.(s\ killed  appa*rently by, a/$ mysterious ban\[=d !!of ,cattl (e-rus?tling India-ns. Uncon\vinced that,[ Ind@ians =are to bl((ame, *`Shaw r -ides out to investig^:ate a :nd f;;ollo-/ws $ the r(*ustlers' tra=@
i*\,l t$/ o+ th$=e \%camp of Jac-;k, Slad@:e, a former %)frien(-_d a ;nd coh! `ort :, whose ga /ng committe$d t$he killing disguised as; Indian+s—the)  gan$
g Shaw *,$lef%%t fol-$lowing his l=ast bank
 robbery. Slad? e reveals th^at they are w*;-orking for t@[he Confe,]@der. acy ^.to disr@upt Western Un*ion bec
aus%_e they ?believe the te
,
leg?raph servi;*ce will hel++p (][the Union.%, Shaw#;; rides awa[^/y an%
d ?:returns.  =t]//o= the line. Not wanting to tu[r%+n in his for[!mer fri)!\_e#+n\(ds, Shaw tell/ s C/=:%reighton tha_!t):] a la)rge band of Dakota India?ns stole the ca])ttle, .: and recommen
?ds t;h?),a) ^t th%ey simply repl)ace the herd \!and not risk a f?*ight with !th
-e Indians.　　Sometime,-` lat(\er^$,,*+? a;= con)\frontation takes?$] place-] bet%^,w+.e;en .men working [?=[on the - f]:orward line and a b%and of drunken Indians.^$% When  ?;,one %=of the In@`:`d #ians trie(s ;
to steal some e@ . ;qui
pmen=t, a nervous`=) Blake shoot`[(s him, ig]nori ng Shaw&#
39s [-;order to(  ^re+(main calm.[^  ;@After word a:\rri[?ve[)s t;[^]ha(_t the main camp is under attack by o=the.r Indi_]ans, the We!_]^?stern
` Uni
!^-on $?] men rush back to he@ lp) w+i\ th @, `:the defense..$@ -At-%]. the mai;![n camp,.* Sl.#ade&# 39s me,n$#, who are agai?% n dis?]gui?sed # as India %n$s, stea%,l the West]ern Union [/$.ho @?rses. =The company d;,iscover \th@`e ruse when on[$*e of the wound[ed Indians turns out to
* be a white man. Forced(.^% to bu]y back thei+r (^ ?st#*-ol en_ horses fr:om Slade, Creighto:
n become`,s susp!%ici-ous of Shaw&#-+39/%s involvement, especiall;(y+=/ when he ad@m =its to knowing the gan\, g.　　Soo= -n th@
$e U.S. Arm-y arrives and announces^ the I\-ndians hav
^e now refused. to allow the telegraph* l:, i#_$n\!es to go t)=(hrough t+;.heir territ)%/ory in re%sp,onse to Blake&.#39/_=s s,hoo#_+ting of the drunk*( ``en [!Indian. Creight ))^on, Shaw,!^, and Blake, ride ,)-;out to convin-?_ce C(*hief Sp@^ott 
ed Horse to al$low=! th `em @to bu? ild the  line thro.)ugh (` Indian_ ter ritory, even though t%)=#he m@an Blake wo).*unded was Spotted Horse:9s ^son.]^_ Crei, gh=[ton i,)s f//inally abl^-e to persu/ade *$the Indians to allow t/;*hem passage, and work continues un#til`. the company+_ ap(!proach=es Sal t Lake]
= City.　　Someti:;me l. (ate-_]r,, +Shaw r=%,ecei: ve!(s word th!at*_ Jack Slade wants to meet with )`
!=him. On the wa*@/y_ to s?]$ee -Slade, Shaw is captured and bound by Slade's men. ?Slade says his group is goi(ng to bur /]n down the Weste*/rn Un,/ion cam+?p an_ )/d they don't want Shaw -` to in(ter]fere.. A `fter.]@` Slade and his [=men ride\/]! !;?off, Shaw esc.apes from? his ropes but arrives back^;* too lat\!\ e to pr),!eve !^nt $_the f ^[ire. He helps r/esc@#ue s;[ome of th!,?e# _=Western Union men from %t he fl(_)^ames and burn)s his hands in the .[proces,s.　　;-@#A-@fte/-r ?#t*  he fi^\re, Creighton (confronts Shaw for :!an e_^[%xpl`[anation, =bu- t.
 Shaw d^oes not_` r@eve
al wha!t he kno;ws %([ and) is ! _fired by Cre_/ ighton. *`As Sha w leaves_@
t!he camp,% he tell!s Bla*ke  that;/@ S`?lade is**$ actuall./%+y Shaw\*'s broth$e]#r and that  he, Shaw, w`:il]_l find Slade's gang and stop = them from interfe!:r-%in)-g with the teleg_raph proj=.ect. Shaw rides off +and finds S$+ lade an^^d his me/[.n* in a ne*arby tow#(n. At*-
th
%/e bar#+!ber shop;,`% Shaw confr=(, o_$n /)ts+= his brot*-?her, whose gun/] is co -%nceal[=ed under the b)(arber&$_#39$$^s she_e^t.-- .*Slade shoots$ Sh.:=aw through]/ the sh#eet. Shaw, figh`:t=s back i n s+=pite of =:his wound, killing some of the
?/ gang members,[+[, a^n]=d t[hen [dies.,) Blake arr*iv
,es an/]d continues t_he %fig,/[ht wi)\th]:` Slade w.-ho ).die s_\- _from h.+/is wo)unds.*; Soon ,aft=er, t\`%h\=e Western U!?nion line is completed and t*he( =^workers celebra);/.te=$_. When Sue laments !the absen?ce of Shaw, Crei/@:ght$on tel!ls h*,e
:r?_ t]hat S;ha#:^w `\can hear them.