Three cowhands, between jobs, have the awful chance to pitch nighttime camp at precisely exactly the valley as a cabin full of guys who just robbed a stagecoach and killed the shield. Come dawn, a posse arrivesup across the ridge, and takes for granted that everyone else down is guilty--fit for shooting to bits or hanging from the tree, whichever comes first. Half Ride in the Whirlwind's 82 minutes is specialized in tapping the matteroffact horror of the circumstance. In the rest of the half, the 2 surviving Cow Pokes (Jack Nicholson and Cameron Mitchell) seek shelter at a farm house where they reluctantly endanger the farmer, accept breakfast from his wife, flirt with his daughter (Millie Perkins), play a few checkers, and also aspire to stay unnoticed till nightfall.