While surveying a telegraph line in 1861, Western Union engineer Edward Creighton (Dean Jagger) is severely injured in an accident. He is discovered by Vance Shaw (Randolph Scott), an outlaw on the run from a posse. Forced to travel on foot after his horse was hurt, Shaw at first considers stealing Creighton's horse, but changes his mind and takes the man with him, saving his life.
Sometime later, following his recovery, Creighton returns to Omaha, Nebraska and plans the construction of a telegraph line from Omaha to Salt Lake City, Utah. Facing considerable opposition to the line from Confederate soldiers, Indians, and outlaws, Creighton elicits the help of his sister Sue (Virginia Gilmore), foreman Pat Grogan (Minor Watson), and assistant Homer Kettle (Chill Wills).
Looking to put his outlaw past behind him, Shaw arrives at Creighton's Western Union office looking for honest work and is hired as a scout by Grogan who is unaware of his past. Creighton recognizes him among the men and allows him to stay despite his suspicions. Creighton also hires tenderfoot Richard Blake (Robert Young), a Harvard-educated engineer as a favor to Blake's father. Shaw and Blake are both attracted to Sue and vie for her attention, but their romantic rivalry is cut short when construction of the telegraph line starts on July 4, 1861.
After work commences on the line, one of the men is killed apparently by a mysterious band of cattle-rustling Indians. Unconvinced that Indians are to blame, Shaw rides out to investigate and follows the rustlers' trail to the camp of Jack Slade, a former friend and cohort, whose gang committed the killing disguised as Indians—the gang Shaw left following his last bank robbery. Slade reveals that they are working for the Confederacy to disrupt Western Union because they believe the telegraph service will help the Union. Shaw rides away and returns to the line. Not wanting to turn in his former friends, Shaw tells Creighton that a large band of Dakota Indians stole the cattle, and recommends that they simply replace the herd and not risk a fight with the Indians.
Sometime later, a confrontation takes place between men working on the forward line and a band of drunken Indians. When one of the Indians tries to steal some equipment, a nervous Blake shoots him, ignoring Shaw's order to remain calm. After word arrives that the main camp is under attack by other Indians, the Western Union men rush back to help with the defense. At the main camp, Slade's men, who are again disguised as Indians, steal the Western Union horses. The company discover the ruse when one of the wounded Indians turns out to be a white man. Forced to buy back their stolen horses from Slade, Creighton becomes suspicious of Shaw's involvement, especially when he admits to knowing the gang.
Soon the U.S. Army arrives and announces the Indians have now refused to allow the telegraph lines to go through their territory in response to Blake's shooting of the drunken Indian. Creighton, Shaw, and Blake ride out to convince Chief Spotted Horse to allow them to build the line through Indian territory, even though the man Blake wounded was Spotted Horse's son. Creighton is finally able to persuade the Indians to allow them passage, and work continues until the company approaches Salt Lake City.
Sometime later, Shaw receives word that Jack Slade wants to meet with him. On the way to see Slade, Shaw is captured and bound by Slade's men. Slade says his group is going to burn down the Western Union camp and they don't want Shaw to interfere. After Slade and his men ride off, Shaw escapes from his ropes but arrives back too late to prevent the fire. He helps rescue some of the Western Union men from the flames and burns his hands in the process.
After the fire, Creighton confronts Shaw for an explanation, but Shaw does not reveal what he knows and is fired by Creighton. As Shaw leaves the camp, he tells Blake that Slade is actually Shaw's brother and that he, Shaw, will find Slade's gang and stop them from interfering with the telegraph project. Shaw rides off and finds Slade and his men in a nearby town. At the barber shop, Shaw confronts his brother, whose gun is concealed under the barber's sheet. Slade shoots Shaw through the sheet. Shaw fights back in spite of his wound, killing some of the gang members, and then dies. Blake arrives and continues the fight with Slade who dies from his wounds. Soon after, the Western Union line is completed and the workers celebrate. When Sue laments the absence of Shaw, Creighton tells her that Shaw can hear them.
反派升级，剧情升华，但也容易神话主角，还是点到即止为妙。
6分，成无脑打片了，表演、色调和场景不错，叙事不行
让我感动的并不是天将降大任于斯人必先苦其心志，这样的故事太多了。最难能可贵的是一见钟情后的不离不弃。
第一部是天时地利的碾压 这部换了风格 感觉还不错 但是整体没有第一部窒息
明明就比第一部出彩。原来虎毒是会食子的，原来自家狗是会反水背叛主子的。
虽然第二集很多打分低，可我觉得2比1更刺激了，虽然变成动作片了。
而残酷的人生，让女孩斩断生母的手臂，扎穿生父的心脏，面对养父的黑暗告白，你还能指望她成长为怎样的健全人？
为啥不能一起上呢……
没有第一部的密室感 紧张气氛明显少了一个档次 感觉就像雇佣兵的一场屠杀
很high很带感，这个系列走的就是这样的镜头风格和故事内容，而且小萝莉表演真的到位，老头依然牛批。。。
反派长的像大号版小恶魔[Emm]
看到最后，热泪盈眶，真心推荐NFL，节奏力量悬念传奇均是史诗级的联赛.
沙赞大哥演的还行…所有励志故事都告诉我们，首先你得相信自己的梦想，然后你必然要付出很大的努力和艰辛…最后，你就得等待自己的运气了，这一点点运气，完全是谁也不能掌握的，就是老天给你的
简直就是杀来杀去的血浆片，毫无逻辑毫无意义的故事。比第一部差很远，屏住呼吸的构思也只有在一开始房间里那段才得到传承，后面就是编剧一通瞎编。
这个系列我还是挺喜欢的，恶魔妈妈一出场故事的发展基本没有什么悬念了，悬疑不够可是够血腥，老爷子八年如一日，依旧抗揍能打。
汪汪队立大功（。快节奏和硬核剧情还是可以顺畅看完的，女儿躲人那段精彩。讲道理教了女儿这么多防身术也还是要教一下打911的，最后都不抢救一下就投奔新世界了也是挺奇怪的脑回路。
真人故事比这个更燃更励志，电影还是过于平淡！！！
变成了节奏紧凑的动作片，老人家也化身老父亲救养女，整体中规中矩
刚开始感情戏有点看不进去，但是苦尽甘来的时候还是泪目了！本人故事更精彩
惊悚：4
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