bradford and his men catch up with the caravan which is trapped in a canyon and being attacked by murrell's banditos who are attempting to take the gold. irby is wounded in the gunfight, but bradford's superior military skills and the rebels' long guns eventually drive off the banditos. before he dies, irby delegates command of the caravan and its gold to bradford. during the night, knowing that in the morning both murrell's men and drewery's command will arrive, bradford takes the gold from the wagons and buries it in the canyon to prevent its capture.