 Stony Brooke (Robert Livingston) returns to his home town only the learn that his father, Sheriff Brooke (Wade Boteler), has been murdered and that his boyhood friend, Tucson Smith (Bob Steele) has been convicted and is to hang for the killing. The killing was actually committed by Brooke s deputy Tom Blackton (Henry Brandon),when he feared that his activities as the secret head of a gang of cattle rustlers and bank robbers was about to be exposed. Blackton has taken over as Sheriff. Rancher Jim Marsden (Rex Lease) helps Tucson escape, and Stony encounters the wounded Tucson and helps him back to his ranch, where Tucson s sister, Helen (Lois Ranson) treats his wounds. When Blackton s posse arrive, Tucson escapes through a trap door and heads for the hills. Blackton convinces Stony of Tucson s guilt, and Stony becomes a deputy with the intent of hunting down his former friend. But he changes his mind when a circuit judge (Harrison Greene), coming to preside over a new trial for Tucson, is killed. Stony continues to work for Blackton, hoping to get the evidence needed to clear Tucson, and tells his jack-of-all-trades friend Lullaby (Rufe Davis), who has taken over the barber shop from Smithers (Earle Hodgins), to try to get some information from his talkative customers.