Henry Fonda is Morg Hickman, a cynical ex-sheriff turned bounty hunter who helps young, recently appointed acting Sheriff Ben Owens (Antony Perkins) with his craggy advice, his cynicism hardwon by experience, and his gun.
Immensely likeable Henry Fonda does not particularly want to help Anthony Perkins, but if he wants to get paid for his most recent bodybag-delivery as bounty-hunter, then he has to hang around in town and he might as well help the stsruggling young sheriff.
Perkins has exactly the right quality of edgy determination and haplessness to let you know he can't do his job but that he will press on regardless. Like Gary Cooper in High Noon, he has a struggle on his hands and the town aren't going to support him against the bad guy, in this case, Bart Bogardus (Neville Brand). Like Sheriff Chance in Rio Bravo facing off the bullying Burdette brothers who don't have respect for his authority of the law, Perkins doesn't seem to have much chance, but now he has put on the tin star he can't take it off.