Later Heath rides into Pinewood and stops at the saloon to enquire about a room for the night. The establishment being full to capacity on account of Congressman Will Oakley’s arrival, the barkeep (Marvin Brody) suggests camping outside of town to start fresh in the morning for his trip to Hazelton.

After accidentally bumping into Heath at the bar, drunkard Matt Carson (Dabbs Greer) wobbles to his horse and rides home. His black and white Pinto catches the eye of Sheriff Dan Kincaide (Peter Whitley) who, along with Jimmy and Simmons, follow him home.

           

           

Following a friendly argument on Oakley’s dreaded land bill, Jimmy shoots the man dead. In front of witnesses Simmons swears on his friend’s body to track down whoever is responsible for his murder.

           

Simmons’s posse is quick to intercept the lone rider. They scoff at Heath’s statement that the killer is Jimmy Sweetwater seeing how he is back in the Pinewood jail waiting to be hanged. Simmons humours the unexpected witness by promising to check once they get back into town.

Heath rides into Hazelton and enquires at the hotel desk about his brother who is apparently running a little late. At that moment Marshal Steve Macklin (Peter Hobbs) informs the gathered posse that the sheriff of Pinewood has caught the murderer, a man by the name of Matt Carson. After getting the man’s description, Heath rides back into Pinewood hoping to clear the misunderstanding.

           

           

Heath waves off the warning and rides out to the Carsons’, where Vera pours her heart out and assures him that her father may have his faults but a killer he is not. He did have a motive for killing the congressman but so did everyone in town on account of that land bill.

Before leaving the premises, Heath takes a look at the barn door. Simmons’s men, Frank (Charles Horvath) and Seth (Reg Parton) jump him from behind. Vera tries to stop the senseless beating before it turns into bloodshed. She begs Heath not to get involved; that it’s not worth risking his life to save her father’s neck.

           

Simmons manages to convince Macklin that Heath hired Carson to have the congressman killed. The marshal is therefore impelled to uphold the law and allows Simmons to take him back to his jail. There Heath warns Jimmy that once he tells his story to the judge, Simmons won’t have no choice but to hang them both.

           

At gunpoint Jimmy gets Heath to follow him and as they are about to exit the office, Heath catches sight of a man’s shadow in the window. He hurls himself through it to disarm him. Outside gunfire erupts.

           

           

Back in Hazelton Nick jumps down Heath’s throat for having missed the meeting, and needles his brother into admitting that a pretty girl was the reason for his lateness. Heath humours big brother by agreeing with him.