It is the second film of Sergio Sollima centred on the character of Cuchillo, again played by Tomas Milian, after the two-years earlier successful western The Big Gundown.

[3] When Cuchillo returns to his hometown in Mexico he soon finds himself in prison, sharing a cell with a dangerous desperado, the poet Ramirez.

Waiting for his release are numerous bounty hunters eager for the price on Ramirez's head.

Evading the hunters, they make it to Ramirez's village, but only minutes before the revolutionary bandit Reza arrives.

Ramirez is shot but before he dies, he passes information to Cuchillo regarding $3M in hidden gold, and charges him with returning it to the revolutionary leader, Santillana.