Shortly after Moody Pierson saves Sheriff Tim's life, Moody is arrested for murder. Tim doesn't believe he did it and lets him get away. Kicked out as Sheriff, Tim goes after the real kiler and this leads him to the town controlled by Red Slavins.
In Bandera Gap, Sheriff Tim Laramie captures two bandits who had robbed a stage coach the previous week. Ranch foreman Moody Pearson saves the sheriff's life when the bandits' accomplice is about to ambush him. Their friendship grows as they discuss Jane Herrick, whom Moody would like to marry, but her father, who owns the ranch where Moody works, thinks his daughter is too good for Moody. Moody confronts Jane's father, who warns him to stay away from his daughter. The following morning, Moody is arrested for the shooting murder of Jane's father after he is found standing over Herrick's body while holding the murder weapon. The townspeople are convinced that Moody is guilty and are ready to lynch him, but Tim proclaims that his friend is innocent until proven guilty. After Moody is convicted of the murder, he is held in Tim's jail, from which he escapes when Tim steps outside for a moment. The townspeople, certain that Tim deliberately let his friend escape, fire him, but he vows to vindicate Moody. Tim then travels to another part of the country, where Herrick was known to have had trouble earlier, to search for the real killer. There Tim discovers that Moody has joined Red Slavens, the head of a gang that is terrorizing area ranchers. Tim also joins the gang and learns from Moody that he joined up because he suspects that Slavens killed Herrick. Tim organizes the ranchers and orders them to hide in town, where he then meets Slavens and his gang. Slavens, who has decided to kill Tim because of an earlier quarrel, freely admits that he shot Herrick. Slavens then orders his men to kill Tim, but just then the ranchers arrive and round up the gang. Tim and Slavens face each other in a shootout, and Slavens is killed. Once Tim and Moody return home, the vindicated Moody prepares for his marriage to Jane.
