Description
In 1919, immediately after the First World War, a loosely knit band of motorcyclists back from fighting in Europe is making their way across the United States to seek their fortunes in California. Among them are five men: Whizzer, Golly, Jimbang, Chupo, and Giblets; and one woman, China. In rural Nebraska, the men come upon a small town called Bingo, where they are challenged to a race by a local hot rodder. The outcome of the race is disputed, and the bikers flee into the surrounding countryside.
They seek refuge on a remote farm owned by two sisters, Acacia and Oriole, whose recently-deceased father was a Native American shaman. The stern Oriole agrees to let the group spend the night in the barn. In the middle of the night, Giblets attempts to rape Acacia, who fends him off. In retaliation, Oriole casts a hex on him. Shortly after, Giblets is attacked outside by an owl, which digs its claws into his eye sockets, killing him.
The group find Giblets' body the next morning, and Oriole supplies them a wheelbarrow and a shovel, telling them she does not want him buried on her land. They hold a funeral for Giblets under Acacia and Oriole's supervision. The younger, impressionable Acacia becomes enamored of Golly, and the two quickly grow close. Meanwhile, Whizzer teaches Oriole how to drive a motorcycle, during which she crashes it. When Whizzer makes romantic advances toward Oriole, China interjects, revealing that Whizzer is not actually a veteran, and is merely an ex-mechanic from Kansas City who has invented a grandiose story about his life. The two women begin to fight when Oriole insults China. Oriole subsequently places strands of China's hair in the mouth of a toad, before sewing its mouth shut and using it as an effigy.
China goes to a nearby swimming hole to bathe, and falls asleep on the shore, where Oriole has placed the toad. China has a disturbing nightmare in which she is attacked by vermin, and observes an apparition of her own body hanging from a tree. When locals from town arrive in search of the gang, Oriole claims she has not seen them, and directs them away. After the townsmen depart, the gang realize China is missing. After a fruitless search, they return to the farm at nightfall, accusing Oriole and Acacia of hurting her. Jimbang attempts to shoot Oriole to death, but the gun mysteriously misfires and instead kills him. Whizzer wishes to leave, but is unable to find Golly, who has gone off with Acacia. In the barn, Chupo, under Acacia's spell, attacks Whizzer, who pleads for him to stop, but Chupo does not respond; the confrontation ends in Whizzer killing Chupo with a sickle while Oriole watches from the shadows. Oriole enters the barn moments after Chupo's death, and the two have sex.
In the morning, Acacia returns to the house and pleads for Oriole to let China go. Oriole flees back to the swimming hole and stabs the toad, effectively killing China, who has been concealed in the house. Acacia, tired of Oriole using their father's shamanistic magic for evil means, renounces her as her sister. Whizzer and Golly prepare to leave, but find Oriole, donning her father's shaman regalia, causing their motorcycles to combust. She is stopped by Whizzer before she collapses. Later, when Whizzy and Golly are about to depart the farm to California, Golly declares that he wishes to stay with Acacia. Oriole offers to go with Whizzer, and leaves with him on the back of his motorcycle. As they drive away, four fighter jets pass by over them.
