In Farrand, Texas, people were up in arms over a shooting that occurred at the local saloon. Polly Webster goes to the sheriff's office and Sheriff Eden Lake greets her as Hoby look on. She asks to see the prisoner, Duke Kincaid, and refuses to identify her connection to him. Eden says that Duke will be released in three days after he serves his sentence, and Polly says that she's calling to kill Duke before leaving.
Hoby and Eden go after Polly and ask who she is. She gives her name and reluctantly agrees to go back with them to the office. Inside, Polly admits that she'll shoot Duke dead when he walks out the door. She tells them that Duke murdered her husband, and Hoby points out that the coroner's jury found different. Polly figured that Duke would go free on the murder charge, and Eden says that he couldn't do anything about Hoby reviews the evidence and explains that Duke and Polly's husband Ed got into a card game, and Ed got drunk. He accused Duke of cheating and drew on Duke, and Duke shot back and killed him. Polly doesn't believe it, but Hoby says that Duke had a dozen witnesses that swore to his side. Hoby admits that he's got no use for Duke, but he knows that they've got to put Duke away according to the law or he'll get out. Polly figures that it's easier for them to hold a woman to account, and describes how she knows Ed never pulled a gun on anyone. Since Duke lied, she's going to kill him.
Two days later, Hoby checks on Duke in his cell and finds him cheating at solitaire. The Ranger warns Duke that Polly is waiting for Duke, and says that there's nothing he and Eden can do. Duke promises to drop Polly if she draws a gun on him, and Hoby asks him how much it cost for the witnesses. Hoby suggests that Duke just leave town for a couple of days and give Polly time to cool down, but Duke refuses. When Duke says that he expects Eden to protect him, Hoby warns that Eden is sweet on Polly.
Hoby approaches Polly on the street and says that he talked to Duke. He insists that he's trying to save her trouble, and warns that Duke could kill her. Polly asks to borrow Hoby's pistol, and Hoby reluctantly hands it over. The woman explains that she and Ed practices a lot together, and calmly shoots the knobs off a distant balcony. She tells Hoby to tell Duke that she's ready for him and walks off.
Later at the sheriff's office, Eden tells Hoby that he and Polly had breakfast at the hotel together where she's staying. He admits that Polly is quite a woman, and Hoby figures that she'll be waiting for Duke in eight minutes. Eden suggests that they lock Polly up, but Hoby warns that they can't hold her without a charge and they've nothing to charge her with.
In her hotel room, Polly takes her gun out and makes sure that it's loaded. As she puts it in her purse,, there's a knock at the door. She hides her gun and answers the door and a woman--Sally McDermit--asks to speak with her. Polly invites her in and Sally knows that she's going to shoot Duke. Sally insists that it was self-defense, asks Polly to leave, and offers her the money that Duke won from Ed. Polly asks if Ed sent Sally there, and Sally says that Ed knows nothing about it. Unconvinced, Polly tells Sally to go back and tell Ed that it won't work and she'll be waiting for Duke when he comes out. Disgusted, Sally says that Polly will just have to take what's coming and leaves, and Polly takes out her gun and goes.
Eden and Hoby release Duke, and Eden says that he's holding onto Duke's gun. Hoby looks out the door and sees Polly across the street. He has Eden take Duke out of the back over Duke's objections, and then goes over to talk to Polly. Hoby tells her that Duke has left and orders her to pack her things and get out of town. Polly refuses and Hoby says that he'll declare her a menace and throw her in jail if she's on the street. He knows that Sally came to see Polly, and figures that Sally will kill Polly if Polly kills Duke. Hoby promises that he'll get Duke when he slips up, and tells her that Luke thinks a lot of her. Polly tells Hoby that she'll be out of Farrand that night, and suggests that she look in on Eden before she leaves.
As Polly leaves the hotel, she stops at the desk and asks the clerk to tell Eden that she's sitting nearby if he comes in. As Polly sits down, she hears two men in the hotel bar talking about how Duke is keeping Hoby going in circles and the town belongs to Duke.
Duke goes to the saloon, orders a drink, and sits down. Polly comes in and aims her gun at Duke. She shoots a bottle next to Duke, and Duke tells her to leave while she can. Polly tells him to get up, and Duke does so but advises her to put the gun away so they can talk. She says that she's going to take him out so the whole town can see what she does. Duke points out that he doesn't have a gun, but Polly doesn't care. He tells the other patrons to help him, but Polly warns that she can shoot four of them and still take care of Duke.
Everyone stays sitting, and Duke heads for the door. Hoby and Eden come in, and Duke goes for his gun while Eden takes Polly's gun. Duke insists that he shot Ed in self defense, and Sally comes over and tells Hoby to leave him alone. Duke calls over another saloon girl, Mabel, and tells Sally that he doesn't need her and never did. Furious, Sally says that she'll tell the truth this time, and says that Ed didn't draw first and Duke paid off the witnesses.
Later, Polly prepares to head home and Eden takes her. He tells Hoby that he plans to get Polly to come back with him and they leave Farrand.
Written by Gadfly on Jul 2, 2017