themselves as the Three Wise Men. Inspired by a Bible verse, they head for the town of New Jerusalem, across the desert and over a mountain. The posse later comes upon the abandoned wagon, and recognizing the possessions of his niece-in-law, Sweet believes that the fugitives killed her and sets out for revenge. When they cross a salt flat, Kid collapses and dies. Once past the flat, Pete trips, breaking his leg. He asks Bob to leave him his pistol, "for coyotes"; as Bob walks toward the mountain, he hears a single gunshot. Staggering through a ravine, Bob finally falls, but in his delirium the ghosts of his two friends refuse to let him give up. Finding a donkey and her colt at the end of the ravine, he uses them to reach New Jerusalem, where he stumbles into a cantina to get drinks for himself and the baby. Just as Sheriff Sweet catches up with him, Bob collapses from exhaustion. Bob is jailed in Welcome, but with his heroic rescue of the baby, the entire town has become sympathetic towards him. Bob gives his godchild into the temporary custody of the Sweets, now his friends, but when the judge (Guy Kibbee) asks him to give up custody permanently in exchange for a suspended sentence, he refuses to break his promise to the baby's mother. Pleased, the judge gives him the minimum sentence of a year and a day; and as he leaves for prison, all the townspeople give Bob a rousing farewell. Cast John Wayne as Robert Marmaduke Hightower Pedro Armendáriz as Pedro Encarnación Escalante y Rocafuerte, a.k.a. "Pete" Harry Carey Jr. as William Kearney, a.k.a. "The Abilene Kid" Mildred Natwick as Dying Mother Ward Bond as Sheriff Buck Sweet Mae Marsh as Mrs. Sweet Jane Darwell as Miss Florie Guy Kibbee as Judge Hank Worden as Deputy Curly Dorothy Ford as Ruby Latham Charles Halton as Oliver Latham Jack Pennick as Luke Fred Libby as Deputy Ben Johnson as Posseman #1 Michael Dugan as Posseman #2 Francis Ford as Drunken Old-Timer at Bar Richard Hageman as Saloon Pianist Ruth Clifford as Woman in Bar Jack Curtis as Bartender #1 Harry Tenbrook as Bartender #2 Gertrude Astor as Townswoman #1 Eva Novak as Townswoman #2 Amelia Yelda as Robert William Pedro Hightower (the baby boy) Points of interest This film was dedicated to John Ford's friend and early star,