Ken Smith ('Ken Maynard') saves Joan Peters ('june Gale') from her runaway horse. He learns that she is trying to save her brother, Johnny (
Harry Ernest), from an outlaw gang that are taking him to their hideout. Johnny, a clerk in the express office has huge gambling debts to gang leader "Bull" Lanson (
Harry Woods) and they are trying to force him to tell when a money shipment is due. Ken and Joan arrive at the hideout, when Ken poses as "Lightnin'" Smith, a border gunman, and Joan poses as his fiancée. Johnny has been wounded and Lanson sends for and forces Doctor Brownlee (
Lafe McKee) to take care of the boy. Ken tells Lanson that the money will be at the office that night, and gets word through the Doctor to Sheriff Sam (
Jack Rockwell)to have a heavy guard on the office. Ken has to accompany the gang, and the Sheriff and his deputies engage them in a raging gun fight. Henchman Lem (
Bud McClure), who rightfully suspects that Ken is not whom he pretends to be, knocks Ken out with a gun. Lanson heads for the hideout with the money while his men cover his getaway, with Ken, actually a U.S. Marshal detailed to the district, in pursuit. Ken finds, he thinks, Lanson alone at the hideout but the real "Lightnin" Smith (
Frank Hagney) has shown up. They ambush Ken and are about to kill him. Prior to this, Ken and a couple of musician groups sing and saw away (in the original unedited release at least) at "Red River Valley", "Thundering Hoofs", "Boots and Saddles" and "Our Old 45's".
—Les Adams <longhorn1939@suddenlink.net>