The Undefeated - A lot seems unresolved

This film has been playing a lot recently on Encore Westerns, and in watching it a few times I keep getting the impression that it left a lot unresolved. It's a very watchable film, but it leaves me feeling like something else was unsaid.

The strange ending for one (sharing a drink with the officer who was about to execute Hudson's group, no stampede, etc) - many have commented on how it seemed as if something was missing.

Another item is the setup of some kind of relationship between the Duke and Marian McCargo's character (Ann). They telegraphed it considerably and it looked as if something was happening, but it turned out to be another loose thread.

Another was the inevitable confrontation between Roman Gabriel and Jan Micheal Vincent.

So what's the deal? Was the script unfinished at the time of shooting? Did they run out of money? Some kind of disagreement between the higher-ups?

It really looks as if there is a missing reel, or *something*. I still like the film a lot, but the more I see it the more it looks as if a big chunk was either rewritten, abandoned, or edited out.