When Sand and Dink try to take a wild horse away from Apache leader Ponce Hondo steps in to help Ponce. When he arrives back at the fort he discovers visiting General Rutledge is there to make suggestions for better operations, although he has no knowledge of the Indian wars. Rutledge is a by-the-book officer and has Ponce unjustly whipped for supposedly attacking him during a fight with Sand and Dink, who are drunk and still angry about the wild horse. The General then leads a patrol deep into Apache territory with Hondo who advises against it. Ponce and a superior force attack and have them pinned down. Ponce talks with Hondo and says he does not desire to kill the soldiers but only wants to exact apache revenge on Rutledge. Hondo forces the general to send the soldiers back to the fort and Rutledge goes off with the Apaches for 4 days, Ponce promises Hondo the General will not be killed. The General is humiliated by Apache women and children but receives a drink of water from

Soldado and his renegades massacre a family and then attack a shipment of rifles and ammunition intended for Vittoro's people, killing all the soldiers guarding it. Colonel Crook is ordered back to Washington to accept a medal and is being replaced for the two months he is gone by Colonel Smith, who immediately orders all Apaches to surrender their rifles and ammunition. Smith assigns Buffalo Baker to carry the order to Vittoro but he refuses and is put in the guardhouse. He is soon joined there by Hondo who disobeys Smith's order restricting him to the fort to ride to Tucson to retrieve Colonel Crook. Smith, however, is still in charge for 24 hours and rides out with Captain Richards as Soldado has offered to be the first to surrender his weapons. This turns out to be a trap and Smith, Richards and several troopers are held captive. Soldado sends a sergeant back with his ultimatum, which is 100 repeater rifles and one thousand rounds of ammunition in exchange for the hostages.

The stage Hondo and Angie are on is attacked by comancheros lead by Rodrigo. When Rodrigo discovers there is no payroll he takes Angie hostage, demanding a $3,000 ransom. Hondo returns to Fort Lowell and attempts to raise the ransom but falls well short. Captain Richards says he cannot assist as that would mean going into Mexico. Hondo rides out to keep the rendezvous with Rodrigo, which is in Mexico, while Buffalo Baker rides to Col. Crook to see if he will help. Angie's presence in the comanchero camp arouses jealousy in Teresa, Rodrigo's girl, and she attempts to kill Angie. Hondo arrives but it is soon discovered he does not have the $3,000 and Rodrigo is ready to hang him until Hondo tells him of a $10,000 Army payroll being transported in the U.S. the next day. Hondo and Angie are taken along on the payroll holdup and during the attack on the pay wagon Teresa again tries to kill Angie. Hondo has to try and rescue her and fend off Rodrigo at the same time.

Hondo's stolen hat leads him to a outlaw bandit.