- At a remote army fort in the desert, Alice Corbett--a widow with a small daughter--makes money by doing laundry and cooking for the soldiers. Sgt. Barnes, a scout at the post, gradually falls in love with her. One night at a party for the commanding officer, Col. Sears, Barnes sees Dr. Deschamps, the post physician, making a pass at Mrs. Sears. The next day he spots the two riding together, and later confronts Deschamps, demanding that he resign his commission or be exposed for his attempt to seduce the colonel's wife. Deshamps has no intention of resigning, and together with half-breed Unitah, who hates Barnes for beating him in a fight, comes up with a plan to get rid of Barnes without the crime being traced back to him.—frankfob2@yahoo.com
- Sergeant Barnes is scout and special messenger at a U.S. army post on the edge of the great American desert. Alice Corbett, a young widow, and her infant, Barbara, find difficulty in making ends meet. Between Sergeant Barnes and the young widow a warm friendship is formed, a friendship which soon develops into love. It is the birthday of Col. Sears and an army ball is planned in his honor. Sergeant Barnes discovers the Colonel's wife in loving tete-a-tete with Dr. Deschamps. A day or two later, when the Sergeant is scouting the foothills for "strays" he encounters Deschamps and the Colonel's wife riding together in a wooded path. The Sergeant incurs the enmity of Deschamps when he asserts that the latter must hand in his resignation to Col. Sears or be exposed. Another enemy is made in the person of Unitah, whom the Sergeant knocks down when he discovers the half-breed maltreating a horse. Col. Sears entrusts Sergeant Barnes with a message to be carried to another post across the desert. Deschamps plots the downfall of the young Sergeant. Taking a phial of deadly poison from his medicine kit, the post physician proceeds to saturate some lumps of sugar, which Sergeant Barnes is taking along for his horse, with the poison fluid. Unitah follows the Sergeant when he starts. While the Sergeant sleeps the half-breed empties his canteen and replaces the water with sand. In the morning Barnes' horse dies. Barnes proceeds afoot, then discovers the deadly trick that Unitah has played. The young Sergeant is alone, on foot, and without water in the middle of the desert. He sees a strange symbol, a symbol of death, for it is the shadow of a buzzard. In a stupor the young Sergeant staggers on. He falls, his reason flees, but he has managed to reach the railroad tracks. A train passes. The Sergeant is seen. Friendly hands lift him aboard and he is plied with water. Across the desert the soldier recovers and finally his memory, which was shattered, returns and he recalls everything. Meanwhile, at the army post, hope that Barnes still lives has been given up. Col. Sears has sent out a searching party and the squad has returned bearing the clothes that young Barnes had worn. Alice is inconsolable, while Deschamps and the half-breed are highly satisfied. Then comes a message from the dead. Young Barnes still lives and he is returning. Terror-stricken, Deschamps plans to flee. He leaves the post as does the half-breed. Returning, Barnes encounters both his enemies. A fight ensues. They are two against one, and the young Sergeant is on the point of defeat when the soldiers at the post chance upon the struggling trio. A bullet lays the half-breed low. No bullets, however, ends the life of Deschamps. He is roughly handled and taken back to the post where, without ceremony, he is thrown into the guard-house, to be dealt with in the way the army treats a traitor. Barnes reports to his Colonel, who commends the lad for his bravery. The young Sergeant and Alice are reunited.
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What was the official certification given to The Buzzard's Shadow (1915) in the United States?
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