Deserted landscape on the side of the house. Someone approaches the house on horseback. It is Ethan Edwards (John Wayne), returning from the Civil War to his brother’s ranch in Texas. Ethan is in love with his brother’s wife Martha (Dorothy Jordan). When he leaves to search for the Indians who have stolen the cattle, the ranch is attacked by Comanches. They kill the brother and his wife and take their two daughters captive. For the remainder of the movie, Ethan and his friend Martin traverse the western states in search of the girls.