In the Arizona countryside, a masked man signals a gang of bandits,
and they ambush two men in a stagecoach, killing one of the men and
stealing the gold shipment they are carrying. Later, in nearby Tioga
City, bank president James Kerrigan informs a group of businessmen and
his daughter, Jane (Anne Gwynne),
that the U.S. Marshal is sending two men to help them catch the masked
bandit, who is called El Azote because of his prowess with a bullwhip.
Before these men, Lash LaRue and Fuzzy Q. Jones, reach town, however,
they are ambushed by the gang, but narrowly escape. Upon arriving in
Tioga City, Lash is angry to see a poster announcing that a marshal
and deputy are coming to combat El Azote, and he and Fuzzy wonder if
their arrival was publicized in order to set them up for an attack.
Meanwhile, saloon owner Benson berates the gang for their unsuccessful
ambush, and when Lash and Fuzzy enter the saloon, they are provoked
into a fight by two of Benson's men, Rio and Thurman. Benson
eventually puts an end to the fight, and Lash tells him that he and
Fuzzy came across the bodies of a murdered marshal and his deputy on
the way into town. Later, Rio and some of the gang try to lynch Lash
and Fuzzy, but Kerrigan and his cashier, Joe Chester, intercede, and
Benson orders Rio to leave.
Lash and Fuzzy later call on Benson, who
proposes a scheme in which Lash, who is also highly skilled with a
bullwhip, will dress like El Azote and commit highway robbery, with
Rio and Benson's other employees posing as El Azote's gang. Lash goes
along with the plan, believing that his impersonation will force the
real El Azote out of hiding, and he assures Fuzzy that it will be easy
to get the money back from Benson once they have completed their
mission.
El Azote strikes again, and when the newspaper account
mentions a henchman matching Rio's description, Lash realizes that Rio
is working for both Benson and El Azote. Lash confronts Benson, and
while they are fighting, Rio comes in with a gun and says he knows
Lash's real identity. After tying up Lash and Fuzzy and knocking
Benson out, Rio and the gang rob the Tioga City bank. Fuzzy cuts their
ropes with his spurs, and uses a slingshot to disperse the gang's
horses while Lash goes into the bank and captures the bandits.
El Azote appears and disarms Lash, then escapes past a confused Fuzzy.
Lash rides off in pursuit, finally catching up with El Azote on a
rocky ridge, where the two men fight a savage duel with their
bullwhips. Lash prevails and unmasks his opponent, who turns out to be
Joe. Later, Lash explains to Kerrigan and his daughter Jane that the
cashier intended to break all of the banks in the county and then set
up a banking empire of his own. In the next room, Fuzzy is boasting
about his legendary friends when Lash enters with Buffalo Bill, and
Fuzzy collapses in amazement.
shooter. La Rue
and St. John are
U.S. marshals assigned to Tioga City to catch an outlaw and his gang. The
outlaw uses a whip, same as LaRue, so latter decides to be a masked bandit in
hopes of finding his man. Climactic whip duel loses some of its punch because it
is first used to background title and credits at start of picture!
