The Chalice

Caine witnesses the murder of a priest for a chalice that he had himself fashioned from gold for the mission of Padre Braganza (Gilbert Roland), but in a moment of weakness had coveted for himself. With his dying breath, the priest asks Caine to retrieve the chalice and return it to the mission for the forgiveness of his soul. Caine remembers how he was forgiven by Master Kan (Philip Ahn) after killing the Emperor's nephew, and agrees to recover what was stolen. The killers are a gang of four outlaws who have also stolen a Gatling gun from Captain Luther Staggers (William Smith), who determines to recover both the gun and the chalice, until Caine overcomes the gang singlehanded. Obsessed with Caine's fighting abilities, Captain Staggers is outraged that the peaceful monk is uninterested in joining up with him, fashioning a heavy set of chains to intimidate Caine, and it's truly a jaw-dropping sight to see the muscular Staggers wielding this deadly weapon against his defenseless foe. As always, the busy William Smith proves a worthy opponent, and former silent screen heartthrob Gilbert Roland is also in fine form as the compassionate Padre. Appearing unbilled during the flashbacks as a guard is Yuki Shimoda, in the second of his six entries.