 After an absence of 15 years, Thomas Holden (Robert Homans) returns to Coldwater with his two sons, Jerry (Don Barry) and Tommy (John James), to lead the fight against a gang that has been terrorizing the town. The gang supposedly take their orders from Smoke Denton (Stuart Hamblen), but the real leader is bank president Uriah Martin (Joel Friedkin.) Holden makes the mistake of telling Martin he has made a rich gold strike and is tricked into signing away his claim, and Martin then has him killed by Denton. Looking through Holden s papers, Martin learns that Jerry is really the son of an outlaw Holden had killed in the line of duty 20 years previously.Martin announces his discovery and, while preparing to leave town, Jerry is forced to kill a man in self defense.Tommy, as the newly-appointed Marshal, is forced to arrest Jerry. At the trial, the Martin-packed jury finds Jerry guilty but, aided by Judge Tater (Bob McKenzie), escapes to the hills and joins Denton s gang. Later, Jerry learns that Martin is trying to force his ward, Dorothy Russell (Lynn Merrick), to marry his son Philip (Rand Brooks) and Jerry, knowing that Tommy and Dorothy are in love, rides to town and forces Judge Tater to marry them at gunpoint. Martin sends Philip to offer Denton $5,000 to kill Jerry, but the latter captures Philip and forces him to admit that his father had cheated Holden out of his gold mine. Jerry and Judge Tater discover the evidence but are attacked by Smoke Denton s gang.