- One of Bart's former romances calls Bart to a town, and says that she warts him to help her take over the local casino. But then a visiting cowboy turns up dead, and Bart is framed for his murder.
- On the road traveling to meet an old girlfriend who wrote him a letter, Bart meets a young cowboy who tells him he's going to kill a man - the man who owns the gambling house where the girl now works. But when the cowboy winds up being the one killed instead, Bart is accused of killing him, and starts to wonder if he's not being played as a pawn in a game.—rbecker28
- After meeting the town undertaker, Pop, outside of town, Bart rides on into town in response to a letter from an old girlfriend, Myra. He greets the sheriff, Bill Satchel, as he rides into town, and goes to the Buck Horn Casino. Owner Dave Lindell is watching over the place, and notices Bart at the bar. Dave goes over and introduces himself, and Bart says that he' looking for the man who said he'd kill Dave. Amused, Dave asks if Bart is looking to stop the killer or help him. Dave says that the cowboy who threatened him is a big talker, knows from a friend. Bart points out that when he rode into town, he saw the friend talking to the cowboy.
Dave invites Bart to stay, and points out a nearby poker game and warns Bart that two of them work for the house. The owner takes Barry into the game and joins him, and Myra comes over Dave declares the rules of California Poker. Soon it's Bart versus Dave, and Bart sitting on three of a kind. Bart takes one call, and the dealer sends him two. Bart points it out, and the dealer Harry apologizes. Dave points out that the extra card could have fouled Bart's hand.
Bart discovers he now has four aces instead of three. Myra brings him a sandwich, and Dave sends her along and tells Bart to just play poker. When Bart checks his hand, he discovers that he has six cards. Dave taps Bart, and Bart contemplates the extra card.
Myra slaps a cowboy, and Harry holds Dave back and says that it means nothing. Bart eats his sandwich and then calls, and shows five cards including his four-of-a-kind. Dave admits that he lost and checks Bart's sandwich, figuring the sixth card is there. It isn't, and Dave passes off his curiosity as looking for mustard. Dave calls the game, and Bart says he wanted to give Dave a chance to win his card back. He asks for a hotel and Bart says that they have rooms there, and Bart leaves with his winnings. Once he's gone, Harry tells Dave that the player next to Bart, Charlie, slipped Bart the sixth card when Myra brought Bart his sandwich. Dave wonders what Bart did with the card, and discovers the card in his pocket and laughs.
Myra comes to see Bart in his room and he tells her how much he won. They kiss, and Bart says that her letter was waiting in Santa Fe but he had business. Bart says that he remembers their week in Santa Fe, and Myra calls him on the fact that he's misremembering it. He thanks her for her distraction in the bar as she collects half the winnings, and asks for the details. Myra says that she's going to take the casino over and needs a man to work for her, and insists that they're partners.
Bart says that he doesn't feel like settling down, and Myra assures him that he'll recognize every move of what she's doing. She tells him to keep then entire $2800 and leaves. As Myra goes down the stairs, Harry approaches her and asks when they're leaving. Myra tells Harry to go back to work, so Dave doesn't see them together.
As Myra goes to her room, the cowboy-Brazos Kinkaid--approaches her and she recognizes him.
The next morning, Dave questions Pop, who Myra slapped, who says that he has no idea why Myra slapped him. Pop insists that Myra it too full of life to touch, and Dave orders him out. As Dave pours himself a drink, Bart comes in request to Dave's request. Dave asks what Brazos looked like, and Bart says that Brazos looked like he rode a long way. Dave admits that he might have been big talking the night before, admits that his games are "mostly honest", and offers Bart a job as casino manager.
Bart tells Dave that he has another job, and Dave tells him not to take it because he controls the town. Dave tells Bart that his first job to find Brazos and get him out of town, and Bart takes the job.
Later, Brazos approaches Bart in the street. Bart figures that Brazos didn't plan to kill Dave if he was talking about it beforehand, and Brazos says that he wanted to let Dave know he was there and spook him. Brazos tells Bart that he heard and saw things while he was hiding out, and realized that killing Dave wasn't worth it. He explains that five years ago, he was with a girl, Myra. Dave came through town and when he left, took Myra with him.
Brazos says that he saw Myra in the Buck Horn, and figures that nothing is worth all of the killing. Bart sympathizes and asks if he can do anything. Brazos says that he can't, and Bart advises him to ride back to Texas because revenge isn't worth it.
Once Brazos rides off, Bart uinsaddles his horse. He hears a gunshot and runs over to investigate, and finds Brazos dead on the ground. Bart shoots a man in the shoulder who is running away and goes over, and sees the man duck into the back door of the Buck Horn. Satchel comes to investigate and finds the body, and Bart joins him as the townspeople gather. Pop is there, and tells Satchel that he heard one shot. Bart asks if he heard two shots, and Pop says that he didn't.
Satchel says that he heard two shots, and Bart explains what happened to him and he went after the shooter. He gives Satchel Brazos' gun that he took away from him, and his gun that has only been fired. Pop confirms that Brazos said that he was going to kill Dave, and Satchel figures Bart killed Brazos for Dave. Bart points out that Satchel heard two shots, and shot the killer in the shoulder. He invites Satchel to come with him to find the wounded man, and Satchel agrees.
Bart and Satchel go to the building, and Bart points out that it's the Buck Horn. They go in and up to the rooms, and hear another gunshot from Dave's office. They go in and Dave cordially greets them. He claims that he had an accident cleaning his shoulder and accidentally shot himself in the shoulder. Satchel tells him about Brazos' death, and Dave congratulates Bart for killing Brazos.
Surprised, Bart tells them what happened and explains that he shot the killer in the shoulder. Dave says that he's been in his office for hours, and Satchel asks for proof. The owner invites Myra in and she says that she's been with Dave since supper and he's been there the entire time. Bart tells Satchel that he was mistake, and the sheriff takes him to jail.
In jail, Bart points out to Satchel that Dave couldn't have shot himself the way he claimed. Satchel warns that they can't prove it with Myra's alibi, and he invites Bart to break the alibi... from his cell. Myra arrives and asks for a few minutes alone with Bart. Once Satchel leaves, Myra asks Bart what she talked to about Brazos. She admits that she knew Brazos and they were raised together in a little Texas town. Myra had to get out of there before she got "hooked", and went with Dave.
Myra admits that she might have been hooked, and still wants Bart to become her partner. She says that what she said about Dave was true, and is shocked that Bart thinks she might have lied. Bart points out her possible motive, figuring that Myra made a deal. He tells Myra that she is the only one who can clear him for the murder charge, and says that he will consider their partnership if Myra helps him out. Myra kisses him through the bars and tells him to hold the good thought, and leaves.
Later at Myra's hotel room, Harry comes to see Myra. She grabs a bag from the other room and then lets Harry in, and says that she can't stand to be around the Buck Horn anymore. Harry suggests that they go off somewhere and get married, and Myra says that she wants that more than anything. Myra says that Bart is in jail because of her, and she wants their fresh start to be clean.
Harry leaves Myra's room, and Dave coming along sees him go. The dealer rides to the sheriff's office and tell Satchel that he a message for Bart. Once he gets behind the sheriff, Harry pistol-whips Satchel unconscious, then unlock Bart's cell and tell him that a horse is waiting outside. Bart sends Harry out to check the horse while he claims he's getting his gun and bankroll.
While Bart checks Satchel's head wound, he hears a gunshot... as he expected. He looks outside and finds Harry dead, and drags the body inside. Bart lays Harry on a table, covers hi with a blanket, and Satchel wakes up. He draws his gun and runs outside to check on things, then goes back inside. Bart is waiting, and Satchel realizes that Harry is dead. Once Bart explains what happened, Satchel wonders why Bart didn't flee. Bart explains that he's "naturally suspicious", and if he had been killed then people would figure he was the killer and stop looking for the real killer.
Bart asks Satchel for 48 hours to keep Harry's death a secret, and the sheriff gives him 24. As Bart gets his coat, he says that he wants to let the shooter think that they succeeded. Satchel tells him that he can keep the office locked up for 24 hours. As Satchel leaves, he finds Pop waiting. Pop says that he heard a gunshot, and Satchel tells him he can collect the body the next day.
The next day, Pop is digging a grave in the cemetery when Bart rides up. Pop wonders why Bart is still in town, and Bart tells him that he came to order a marker for Brazos. He starts making a marker, and talks about how he was winning a poker game at the Buck Horn and discovered he had an extra card, and couldn't get rid of it. It happened four years ago, and he's been trying to square it ever since.
Bart pays for the marker and says that he has to ride alone. Pop tells him that he's going to miss the marriage between Myra and Dave, and Satchel told Pop about it just a year ago. Bart says that Myra has been trying to marry Dave for five years, and Pop explains that Myra is the one who has rejected Dave since she arrived in town. Bart figures that he'd better attend the wedding after all.
At the Buck Horn, Satchel tells Dave that Harry pistol-whipped him. The sheriff figures that Dave tried to get Bart out of jail, and Dave points out that he wouldn't have sent a dealer. Dave points out that Bart's clothes and tack are still in his room, and Satchel tells Dave to tell him if Bart shows up.
Harry and his man Charley go to Dave's office, and Dave puts on his guns and tells Charley to make sure Bart doesn't show up and break up the wedding. Dave doesn't want to break into Satchel's office and confirm Harry is dead, because it might raise satchel's suspicions.
Bart watches people going into the Buck Horn, then goes to the back door. There's a ladder nearby, and as Bart goes to it Dave's thugs come out. Charles tells the others to kill Bart if he shows up, and all of them leave except one man standing guard. Bart punches him unconscious from behind and hides the body.
Myra sees Satchel in the Buck Horn, and goes to her room. Bart is waiting for her, and she says that he's supposed to be dead. He says that she sent Harry to get her out of jail, and wonders why she's marrying Dave. Myra says that she got Dave into a place where he has to marry him, and she'll get the casino. Bart figures that Myra already has a husband, Brazos, and asks about the baby. Myra admits that she left a note telling Brazos what she did, and gave him reason to divorce her but Brazos refused.
Bart figures that Myra had Dave kill Harry to free her from Brazos, and she admits that she did and gave a false alibi to clear Dave of Brazos' murder. Unimpressed, Bart figures that Myra killed Brazos, thinking he was Bart,. Dave knew it, and he faked the "accident" to take the blame.
Charley finds the unconscious guard, and figures Bart is there and goes inside. He goes inside and tells Dave that Bart is there.
Bart figures that Myra called him in to help out with Dave, but then when Brazos showed up she figured Bart would be more useful dead. Myra admits everything and throws a vase at Bart, and then yells to Dave. Bart grabs her and reveals that she has a bandage on her left shoulder beneath her dress.
Dave hears Myra yells and starts to go upstairs. When Satchel starts to go after him, Dave's thugs draw their guns on the sheriff, and Dave tells Satchel to stay there. Pop ducks out, while Bart grabs Myra and hides behind the door. Charley kicks the door in and sees a fake pair of boots that Bart planted behind a curtain. When the thug shoots at the curtain, Bart shoots him.
Dave prepares to shoot Bart from the hallway, and Pop shows up and yells a warning. One of the thugs shoots Pop, and Satchel breaks free and wounds Dave. As Bart tends to Pop, Myra runs downstairs and goes to Dave, and Bart tells Satchel what happened. Dave figures that it doesn't make any difference now, and Pop figures that the averages evened out in the end and tells Bart to look at the finished marker before he dies.
The next day, Bart is riding out of town. Satchel arrives with the marker, and shows Bart that Pop put his own name on it. Bart says that Pop didn't have to die to prove he couldn't beat the percentage, and rides out of town.
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