Cheyenne witnesses a murder: four horsemen whip a man to death; but the law refuses to act. Cheyenne's purpose is to take Paul Claiborn's son Gerald and return him to Paul. But the Claiborns are sons of the "true" South and have written off Paul as a traitor to the family and the South. The son refuses to go with Cheyenne so he will be leaving empty handed.
Ruth Francis, the wife of the man who was just murdered, was the one who had written Paul, and she begs Cheyenne to take the boy. But Cheyenne sees no way, and is heading back when he sees Gerald placing flowers on his mother's grave. He stops to give Gerald a pony, but the "Regulators" arrive to whip Cheyenne and warn him leave or die. Their leader is Ashley Claiborn, who obviously believes in violence regardless of father Vincent's claim real Southerners don't resort to violence.
The town is collapsing economically because the Regulators won't allow anyone to sell cotton to the North. Farmers are losing their land to auctions, but Cheyenne can't see the files to discover who is buying up the land. Shouldn't be too difficult to figure out which family is scarfing up all that land for pennies.
Cheyenne tries talking to Gerald to bond with the boy, and has some success. But Cheyenne returns to the town in an attempt to get to the land records which are now missing. Cheyenne is forced to take refuge with Ruth Francis who thinks quickly on her feet, and she is able to rescue Cheyenne. Ruth figures it has to be Ashley Claiborn who is buying up the land.
Cheyenne tries to rally the townspeople to stand up against Ashley and the Regulators, but the town is filled with cowardly men. In the end it is Gerald who discovers the truth, but Grandfather Vincent is in denial. When the Regulators attempt to tar and feather Cheyenne and Ruth, Vincent finally learns the truth but too late as his own son shoots him in the back.
P.S, When Cheyenne stands next to Ashley Claiborn you have to chuckle. Ashley is played by Adam West and Clint Walker towers over our Batman.
Ruth Francis, the wife of the man who was just murdered, was the one who had written Paul, and she begs Cheyenne to take the boy. But Cheyenne sees no way, and is heading back when he sees Gerald placing flowers on his mother's grave. He stops to give Gerald a pony, but the "Regulators" arrive to whip Cheyenne and warn him leave or die. Their leader is Ashley Claiborn, who obviously believes in violence regardless of father Vincent's claim real Southerners don't resort to violence.
The town is collapsing economically because the Regulators won't allow anyone to sell cotton to the North. Farmers are losing their land to auctions, but Cheyenne can't see the files to discover who is buying up the land. Shouldn't be too difficult to figure out which family is scarfing up all that land for pennies.
Cheyenne tries talking to Gerald to bond with the boy, and has some success. But Cheyenne returns to the town in an attempt to get to the land records which are now missing. Cheyenne is forced to take refuge with Ruth Francis who thinks quickly on her feet, and she is able to rescue Cheyenne. Ruth figures it has to be Ashley Claiborn who is buying up the land.
Cheyenne tries to rally the townspeople to stand up against Ashley and the Regulators, but the town is filled with cowardly men. In the end it is Gerald who discovers the truth, but Grandfather Vincent is in denial. When the Regulators attempt to tar and feather Cheyenne and Ruth, Vincent finally learns the truth but too late as his own son shoots him in the back.
P.S, When Cheyenne stands next to Ashley Claiborn you have to chuckle. Ashley is played by Adam West and Clint Walker towers over our Batman.