Jenny's (Felicia Farr) young brother Billy (Tommy Rettig) is intrigued by Todd, who appreciates the boy's good-hearted attention.

The group manages to travel safely for five days, avoiding a large nearby Apache war party.

Todd then notices that a small U.S. cavalry detachment has appeared, and the Indians have broken camp, concealing themselves.

The film was shot in DeLuxe Color and CinemaScope on location in Sedona, Arizona, at the mouth of Oak Creek Canyon, and mostly along Schnebly Hill Road.

Director Delmer Daves described the difficulty of finding a pristine location for the film, as his previous western, Broken Arrow (1950), had popularized the region.

Bosley Crowther of The New York Times dismissed it as "A familiar and unexciting journey across a plateau of western clichés", but commended George Mathews' portrayal of the sheriff, "The only character in the picture worth attention".