The true story behind the movie takes it start in 1874 with two misfits - Gustaf Adolf Eriksson (Hjert) and Conrad Pettersson Lundqvist (Tector) - that meet in the big prison of Långholmen in Stockholm. Both driven by the wish of freedom - the one common thing between these two guys. After leaving jail they have lost there civil rights which also have been added to their public records. That makes it very difficult for them to get a descent work in Sweden. Among lots of other Swedes at that time, they eager for America and to get there they decide to rob a Postal coach. They plan and it fails, they plan again and just before midnight between 31 August and 1 September 1874, a couple of miles outside the little town of Malmköping, they stop a coach - that's NOT a Postal coach but a private one - with an engineer - Herman Uppmark - riding in it.