An ex-army scout is hired by ranchers to kill cattle rustlers but he gets into trouble with the corrupt local officials when he's suspected of killing a boy.
A renowned former army scout is hired by ranchers to hunt down rustlers but finds himself on trial for the murder of a boy when he carries out his job too well. Tom Horn finds that the simple skills he knows are of no help in dealing with the ambitions of ranchers and corrupt officials as progress marches over him and the old west.—Keith Loh <[email protected]>
The film opens with the following text: "Based on a true story. He grew up in the violence of the Old West. He became a cowboy, rode shotgun for the stage lines, was an agent for the Pinkertons and fought with the Rough Riders under Teddy Roosevelt. He made his reputation as a cavalry scout by capturing Geronimo in the bloody Apache wars. In 1901, he drifted into Wyoming Territory."
In 1900 Wyoming, cowboy Tom Horn (Steve McQueen) boards his horse at a stable and visits the local saloon for a whiskey. There, he insults the locals, toasting a picture of Indian Chief Geronimo instead of an up-and-coming boxer named "Gentleman" Jim Corbett (Steve Oliver). When Corbett beats him, Tom takes refuge in the barn with his horse. A rancher named John Coble (Richard Farnsworth) finds Tom after witnessing the fight, and offers him shelter and a job after he recovers from his injuries.
Riding to Coble's ranch, they stop at Brown's Hole to water the horses. There, one horse rustler fires his gun at Coble's feet, and orders him to dance. Tom pulls his rifle and shoots the cowboy in the foot. As the wounded rustler vows revenge, Coble explains the incident is typical of conflicts in the area, and soon hires Tom to ward off cattle rustlers.
Later, at a Cattlemen's Association picnic, Coble introduces Tom as a legendary tracker and interpreter of the Apache wars. During the lobster meal, U.S. Marshal Joe Belle (Billy Green Bush) takes Tom aside and says Tom can conduct business by bringing rustlers to trial or by shooting them. Afterward, schoolteacher Glendolene Kimmel (Linda Evans) teases Tom about eating lobster for the first time. She reveals that she is originally from Hawaii, but has always been attracted to the West. Meanwhile, Joe sees Tom as a threat to his reputation as the town's top lawman, and as a rival for Glendolene's affection. Coble soothes Joe's worries by reminding him that Tom is there to do the dirty work, so that Joe can concentrate on his political aspirations.
Later, Tom tracks down four rustlers and starts a gunfight. He shoots two men dead and kills a third from a distance. He then spares the life of the last rustler, but orders him to spread the word about Tom's deeds. Back at the Coble ranch, Tom ropes wild horses, and breaks a horse to present to Glendolene. When he gives her a riding lesson, he wonders aloud how he fits into her adventures, and they kiss.
One day, Tom confronts a rustler, Lee, at his cabin after warning him to cease his stealing. Lee responds by killing Tom's horse, and Tom, in turn, fires several bullets into Lee's body. Afterward, he sets fire to the man's cabin. Later, another rustler opens fire on Tom as he does his errands in town. After Tom kills the man in self-defense, townspeople come out to view the carnage. As Marshal Belle inspects the body, Tom retreats to a nearby hotel to dress his wound.
After the town shooting, the cattlemen meet and warn Coble the newspaper will soon report that they are backing Tom. Marshal Belle tells Coble it is time to fire Tom before a scandal erupts.
One day in town, several cowboys inform Tom that 15-year-old Jimmy Nolt has been killed by the same gun that Tom carries. Soon after, Glendolene tells Tom that he is being framed. He walks to the saloon, asks for a whiskey, and reads the newspaper account of Nolt's death. At his office, Marshal Belle invites newspaper reporter, Charlie Ohnhouse (Drummond Barclay), to hide and record the confession he plans to force from Tom. The marshal then invites Tom to his office to discuss the contents of a letter he received from Montana. He tells Tom of a job offer in Montana to police cattle rustlers, then compliments Tom's way with a rifle, adding that the shooter killed Jimmy from a distance of 213 feet. Tom says his rifle is not capable of making such a clean shot, but Joe disagrees. Tom replies if he did make the shot it would be the best of his career, and his dirtiest trick. Marshal Belle does not get the confession he anticipated, and Tom leaves. Later, Sheriff Sam Creedmore and his deputy, Earl Proctor, arrest Tom for the murder of Jimmy Nolt.
When reporters ask Coble if the Cattlemen's Association hired Tom, and if they plan to pay for his defense, Coble does not respond. In private, Coble warns Tom not to break out of jail because people will assume he is guilty. In his jail cell, Tom recalls romancing Glendolene in an outdoor tub, but is interrupted by a stranger on a horse, who shoots at him. Tom returns fire, kills the man, and finishes him off with the butt of his rifle.
In the present, Tom asks the sheriff to return his Indian charms, and learns that members of the National Guard are stationed outside to prevent his escape. Coble brings Tom a suit to wear for trial, hires an attorney for his defense, and warns him to remain as closed-mouthed as possible around the prosecuting attorney, Walter Stoll. If Stoll wins a conviction, he will be considered a hero and it will ensure his re-election. Coble apologizes, adding that he did not realize the cattlemen would go to such extremes to remove Tom. Tom says that no matter what happens, he knows Coble is his friend.
When the entire town shows up for Tom's trial, the first witness, reporter Ohnhouse, perjures himself on the stand, claiming that Tom bragged to Marshal Belle about killing Jimmy. Then, Stoll questions Tom, who refuses to admit or deny the charge, and leaves. The next morning at the jailhouse, Tom knocks deputy Earl unconscious when he stoops to get a closer look at Tom's Indian charms. Tom steals the key, beats a deputy, and steals his gun. He runs from town on foot, but is quickly beaten and captured. Later, Tom is sentenced to death by hanging for Jimmy's murder.
As Tom waits for his execution, he remembers happier times, riding with Glendolene on the plains. She criticizes his way of life, and warns that eventually society will pass judgment. She admits that she no longer wants to be a part of his world, and says goodbye. As Tom remembers sleeping with Glendolene under the stars, he is called to his execution. He stops along the way to congratulate Marshal Belle on his engagement to Glendolene. As the town watches, Sam places the noose around Tom's neck. The cowboy delivers one last insult to deputies before the trap is sprung, and he falls to his death. His Indian charms clatter as they hit the ground beneath him.
The film ends with another text:
"The story is done... I am proud to say that he was my friend, always faithful and just. I am convinced, and I re-assert it to be true, that Tom Horn was guiltless of the crime for which he died. [Signed] John C. Coble. March 1, 1904, Bosler, Wyoming."
