Relentless is a 1948 American Western film directed by George Sherman and starring Robert Young and Marguerite Chapman in the main roles. The film was based on the story, "Three Were Thoroughbreds," by Kenneth Perkins, originally published in the June 1938 issue of Blue Book and then as a hardcover novel in 1939. IMDb and other sources[3] mistakenly claim that the film was remade as the 1953 Audie Murphy film Tumbleweed, which was based on a similarly named story, "Three Were Renegades," by Perkins (originally published in the December 1938 issue of Blue Book). The later story, "Three Were Renegades," was published as a sort-of sequel to the earlier story, "Three Were Thoroughbreds," and the plotlines of the two films mirror the plotlines of their respective source stories.
Plot
At the local saloon, prospectors Len Briggs and Bob Pliny brag about finding gold at their mine. Bad guys Tex Brandaw and Jim Rupple decide to follow the two prospectors and steal their mine. Drifter Nick Buckley, who is passing through town seeking shelter for his pregnant mare, is offered a drink by the two old prospectors, on the account of their recent good fortune. They also offer him the use of their shack for the night. However, Tex suggests to Nick the use of an empty stall in the town stable instead. The two prospectors return to their cabin where Tex and Jim await in ambush. They kill the prospectors and steal the map revealing the gold mine's location. They divide the map in two sections, to prevent cheating, and split up agreeing to meet later. Tex has no intention of sharing the gold with Jim and bushwhacks him on the trail, taking Jim's half of the map. Jim pursues Tex on foot and runs into Nick, who left town after spending the night there. Nick's mare has just given birth on the trail and is in no shape to travel. but Jim seizes the mare at gunpoint and gallops after Tex. The sickly mare dies. An angry Nick catches up with Jim and kills him in a gunfight. Tex has witnessed the gunfight and, pretending he's a passerby, assures Nick that he will back up his story of self-defense in front of the sheriff. Tex even offers to take Jim's body back to town and inform the sheriff about the facts. Nick leaves to aid his helpless foal, that he named Storm, back on the trail. Tex tells the sheriff that Nick killed Jim and the two prospectors, thus covering his own crimes and framing Nick for murder. The sheriff's posse goes after Nick, who is oblivious that he's a wanted man. On the trail, Nick runs into Luella Purdy, owner of a traveling general store, whom Nick had met in town the day before. She agrees to help Nick care for his starving foal and they buy a burro, a jenny whose own foal has been sold, from an old prospector in order to nurse Storm. Luella believes Nick's story of self-defense concerning the showdown with Jim. Sheriff Jeff Moyer shows up and charges Nick with the murders. Nick escapes and goes after Tex on his own to clear his name.[4]
