Young Harry Kenyon returns home to Tondo City after graduating college so he can help his rancher father drive a herd of cattle to the annual market, but a pair of outlaws - Cactus Ben and Tondo Bill - are planning to steal the herd for themselves.
The inaptly named Peace City is held in a grip of fear by the corrupt Sheriff Sellers. The benevolent, black-hatted 'Stranger,' who unexpectedly arrives in town, is in actuality an undercover Texas Ranger determined to restore law and order.
Cowpoke Sandy Adams overhears a plot to frame rancher Duncan McKenna for a rash of cattle rustlings and methodically turns the members of the gang against each other.
The hero is affected in his daily life by petty superstitious fears, which gives the heroine an idea he is cowardly. She returns his ring, but later events prove his real mettle and she is glad when a reconciliation comes.
Ranchmen try to play a joke on one of their associates by signing his name to a letter addressed to Sarah Smith, who has advertised in a matrimonial journal. A mix-up occurs on the day of the arrival of the lady when a younger woman, sent to buy stock, also appears on the scene and is mistaken for the prospective bride.
The hero befriends a young school teacher, who adopts a child at his suggestion. The real father of the child, who neglected its mother and allowed her to die, tries to make the teacher believe the hero is its father, which brings about an interesting complication.
Jim West, foreman of John Calhoun's ranch, falls in love with Helen, the boss's daughter, after rescuing her from a runaway horse. Her brother, Ted, falls into the companionship of Bill Jackson, a notorious gambler and saloon keeper, who persuades Ted to sign I. O. U.'s while under the influence of alcohol. Jim, in company with Red Irwin, a tough deputy sheriff, confronts the gambler and forces a confession. Jackson plans a raid on the Calhoun cattle, forcing Ted to be his ally. Dolores, a dancehall girl, overhears the plot and tells Jim, causing Helen to misunderstand his motives.
The plucky boy rider Red discovers the dead body of Jim Crawford in the desert. A message scratched on a canteen begs the finder to protect Jim's daughter Ann from the killer, Luke Matthews.
Old timer Hank Robbins and his young pal,"Red" Hepner ride into the town of Cajon, Mexico and find it under a reign of terror imposed by a mysterious outlaw known as El Lobo. Don Jose Valencia is also upset over the romance between his son Francisco and saloon girl Dolores. Pete Sangor, an American resident, has his eye on the girl also. "Red" and Hank discover that Sangor is El Lobo, and ride to rescue the kidnapped Francisco.