The Texas Rambler

While riding in the mountains, a cowboy known as "The Rambler" meets a masked man who refuses to reveal his name, yet asks the Rambler to watch over Billie Conroy, a young woman arriving from the East to take over the Box Diamond Ranch, which was left to her by her deceased uncle, John Conroy. Later, the stagecoach carrying Billie and her prospective suitor, lawyer Larry Morrison, is attacked by a group of outlaws planning to kidnap Billie, but the Rambler arrives just in time to save her, after which he advises Billie to trust no one but Seth Higgins, her late uncle's lawyer. Meanwhile, at the Bar A Ranch, Flash Carson, a lifelong enemy of Conroy, schemes to take over the Box Diamond and is disappointed when he learns that the kidnapping of Conroy's heir has been thwarted. The Rambler returns to the masked man's hideout in the mountains to inform him that Billie is safe, and when he senses that the stranger has insulted the memory of Conroy, he angrily defends him, telling the stranger that he was an old and dear friend. The masked man then asks the Rambler to infiltrate Carson's gang and promises him that if he succeeds, he will reveal his true identity. The next day, the Rambler shows up at Carson's ranch, claiming to be a fugitive, and, when the sheriff arrives shortly after looking for an escaped murderer, Carson offers the Rambler protection and a job with his gang. In the meantime, over at the Box Diamond, Higgins reads Conroy's will, which stipulates that his entire estate be divided equally between Billie, his only surviving relative, and Tom Manning, the son of his former partner. A suspicious Morrison queries Higgins on the circumstances of Conroy's death, and Higgins admits that he found Conroy's body in the mountains and had his remains cremated, but only because Conroy had mysteriously stipulated in his will that no inquest be held in the event of his sudden death. That evening, Carson visits Billie at the Box Diamond, in spite of the jealous protestations of his fiery housekeeper, Rosa, and offers her $5,000 for her half of the ranch, even though it is worth far less. After Billie declines Carson's proposition, Morrison, in need of cash after the failure of a shady business deal, sneaks over to the Bar A and offers to talk Billie into selling in exchange for a large sum of cash. Carson agrees to the deal, and the two plan a staged hold-up during which Morrison will play the hero in order to win Billie's confidence. During the robbery the following morning, the Rambler pretends to be a part of Carson's gang until the last moment, when he cleverly disarms Carson's henchmen and reveals to Billie that Morrison is a conniving crook. Then, much to everyone's shock, Conroy suddenly appears along with the sheriff and reveals that he was the mysterious man in the mountains who had asked the Rambler to help him. He then explains that he was shot by Carson, who had discovered that there was a gold mine on his property, but was only wounded in the attack. With the aid of Higgins and the sheriff, Conroy faked his death in order to test the character of Morrison and to lure Tom into the area in order to investigate his death and uncover the activities of Carson's gang. When Billie expresses her confusion at the events surrounding her uncle's death, Conroy reveals that the Rambler is none other than Tom, the man he had always hoped that Billie would marry, and he then requests that Billie and Tom run the ranch while he manages the gold mine. As Carson and his gang are hauled off to jail by the sheriff, Billie chides Tom for not telling her the truth about his identity, but as they walk away together, they decide that they will have plenty of time in the future to talk things over.