Lawlessness reigns in the town of Triple Creek under political
boss Hal Benson and his tool, justice of the peace Hiram Cockran.
In a gunfight with Cockran's men, outlaw Gils Brady is wounded and
retreats to his cabin. Back in town, Cockran remains determined to
foreclose on the mortgage of rancher Dan Toddhunter and gives
Toddhunter forty-eight hours to pay his debt. When Toddhunter's
grandson protests, Benson begins to beat the boy but is stopped by
Buck Halliday, who rides into town with his sidekicks, lawyer
Gabriel Hornsby and medicine man Spud Jenkins.
Although the
townsfolk mistake Buck for Gils, to whom he bears a strong
resemblance, Turner, the manager of the Pioneer Stage Company,
recognizes him as the surveyor he hired to plot a new stage route.
Buck suggests that the new line run through the Toddhunter ranch,
and asks Gabby to draw up a contract for the right of way. At the
Toddhunter ranch, Buck offers the old man an advance so that he
can pay his mortage.
On his way back to town, Buck stops at an
abandoned cabin and there reunites with his wounded twin brother,
Gils, who dies in his arms, naming Benson as his murderer.
Meanwhile, Toddhunter, flush with his bank loan, is riding to his
ranch when he is ambushed and robbed by Jitters and Hank, two of
Benson's thugs. Hearing the gunshots, Buck rides to Toddhunter's
defense and sends the injured man to town while he pursues the
robbers.
In town, Toddhunter dies of his wounds, and Benson
accuses Buck of his murder while Cockran incites a lynch mob. To
divert the mob, Spud and schoolteacher Tibby Mason (Anne Gwynne)
start a fire near the school house, and in the chaos, Buck
escapes. Vowing to bring Benson to justice, Buck asks Gabby to run
for judge on a law-and-order platform. Spud and Buck then arrest
Hank and throw Cockran out of town.
As the townsfolk vote for law
and order, Buck and Gabby arrest Jitters and Benson. At the trial,
as Hank prepares to testify, Benson and Jitters pull out their
guns and commandeer a stage, but are brought finally to justice by
Buck.
