When Sheriff Jake sees a man at the safe and then finds the payroll gone, he trails him. Just as he is about to arrest him, the man saves his life. Still suspicious, he joins up with the man and later they learn that Melgrove, the towns leading citizen, is trying to take over the area's ranches by having his gang stop all incoming supply wagons. With the ranchers about to sell the Melgrove, the two newcomers say they will bring in provisions.

Chris Morrell, the guardian of an Indian girl Nina, is helping her track down her missing father. She is the heir to a rich oil field and in danger from Sam Black, whose gang is out to steal the lands. The outlaws knock out Chris and dress him in the clothes of a wanted bank robber. When Chris awakes, he discovers that now he must continue the quest while running from the law himself.

Sent to find counterfeiters, John Wyatt joins Doc Carter's medicine show. They arrive in the town where Curly Joe runs his counterfeiting operation. Carter was once framed by Curly Joe and Curly Joe tries to get rid of him. But John foils his attempts and learning Curly Joe is a counterfeiter, goes after him.

Randy is jailed for murders he didn't commit. Knowing he is innocent, Sally Rogers breaks him out. Fleeing the Sheriff, he stumbles into the murderers hideout where he is accepted as part of the gang. Learning of the boss' secret identity by comparing handwritten notes, he has a plan that will enable the Sheriff to round them all up.

Kincade controls the area's water supply and is about to force the ranchers into contracts at exorbitant rates. Government Agent Saunders has a plan that will open up the lost river and dry up Kincade's supply, so he gets the ranchers to insist on a clause that Kincade's land will revert to the public if he fails to deliver water.

John Brant escapes jail after being wrongly accused of murder then joins a gang hoping to find the real killer. The real killer happens to be a member of the gang and he suspects Brant is up to no good.

When John Mason's father is killed, John is wounded. Attracted to his nurse Alice, a conflict arises between him and his friend Ben who plans to marry Alice. John later finds the killer of his father but goes to face him not knowing Ben has removed the bullets from his gun.

Just after John Scott gets his rodeo prize money, the Official is robbed and murdered by Pete. Pete then says he just saw John and his friend Kansas Charlie leaving the office. The two fugitives flee to another town where they assume new names. But Pete arrives to point them out and they find themselves in jail. Pete's reluctant accomplice, knowing they are innocent, gets them out and they head after Pete to try and get a confession.

Jerry Mason (Wayne), a young Texan, and Jake Benson (Hayes), an old rancher, become partners and strike it rich with a gold mine. They then find their lives complicated by bad guys and a woman.

After helping prevent a bank robbery, young drifter John Weston (John Wayne) is assigned by Marshal Higgins to look into a series of suspicious deaths among champion rodeo riders. Weston falls for lovely Marjorie Carter along the way but she gets jealous when he suddenly shifts his attention to fiery Dolores.

John Travers and his Indian companion Yak are after the mysterious Shadow and his gang. When Sheriff Davis is killed, Travers becomes Sheriff. Catching two gang members, he learns of the room where the gang gets their orders from behind a fake wall safe and makes plans to trap Shadow.

Rod Drew has been sent to find a missing miner and his daughter. He is joined by old friend Wabi whom he has to rescue from card cheats that framed him for murder. Later they find a skeleton and a map to a mine. When they put the map into a safe, a LaRocque henchman sees. LaRocque wants the map and captures the Mountie sent to get Wabi. His man then dressed as the Mountie captures Rod and Wabi.

This early Western from 1936 stars Wayne as one of two rugged westerners with little business experience who buy a stagecoach line to compete with the arrival of the telegraph. Jon Blair and Larry Adams must obtain the mail delivery contract in order to continue their days with the Pony Express, but face many obstacles from crooks trying to undermine them along the way.