Frontier Vengeance

On his way to Crescent City to visit his boyhood friend, Clay Blackburn, Jim Sanders rescues Ruth Hunter when the stagecoach she is driving is held up. Ruth tells Jim that the hold-ups have become a common occurrence and that she suspects Frank Blackburn, Clay's father and the owner of a rival line, is trying to drive them out of business. Ruth tells her father Joel what a great driver Jim is and is about to offer him a job when he leaves to meet Clay. Clay, who is unaware of his father's intimidating tactics, is delighted to see Jim and persuades Blackburn to hire him as a driver. Jim is happy to work with Clay until one afternoon, as the boys are driving the regular route, Jim notices that a gang of road agents lets them pass, then attacks Ruth's coach as it follows. Jim doubles back to help her, and the gang disappears, leading Jim to believe that they are under orders to attack only the Hunter line. Jim and Clay return to the office, where Jim overhears Blackburn demanding an exorbitant sum to carry a mine owner's shipment. Before leaving, the man accuses Blackburn of increasing his rates because the Hunter line is in trouble. Blackburn orders Jim to drive in the upcoming stagecoach race that will determine the recipient of a valuable government mail contract, but Jim informs Blackburn that he is aware of the company's crooked dealings. Jim then quits and warns Blackburn not to involve Clay in his schemes. Clay questions his father about Jim's departure, and Blackburn tells him that Jim quit after his demand for a cut of the profits was refused. Jim convinces Ruth to hire him, after which they win a contract from mine owner Sam Owens by promising a lower rate than that demanded by Blackburn. Clay is outraged by what he thinks is his friend's treachery and refuses to speak to him. That night, there is a party to celebrate the next day's race, and while Jim and Ruth dance, Blackburn orders his henchman Pinto to set fire to the Hunters' barn. Jim sees the blaze and wounds Pinto as he is escaping. Clay helps Jim rescue the horses, after which Jim tells him to ask his father and Pinto about the fire. Upset about Jim's intimations, Clay goes to his father's office, where he sees Blackburn's right-hand man, Slash, tending to Pinto. Clay realizes what is going on and fights with Slash, who throws Clay so hard against a desk that he thinks Clay is dead. Jim enters as Slash retreats and tends to Clay while Slash tells Blackburn that Jim killed his son. Blackburn rushes to the office, where Clay tells him that Slash is responsible, then dies. Stunned by Clay's death, Blackburn does nothing as Slash's lynch mob captures Jim. Ruth helps Jim escape and he arranges to meet her along the trail and finish the race. On the day of the race, Blackburn feebly tries to stop Slash but to no avail. The race starts and Jim takes over from Ruth at the arranged point. Blackburn finds out that Jim is driving and rushes to warn him about Slash. Slash shoots Blackburn before he can warn Jim, but Jim wins the race nonetheless, and the town citizens learn the truth about Slash. Jim assures them that Blackburn was trying to do the right thing when he died, then he and Ruth celebrate winning the contract.