Partners of the Sunset

When rancher Bill Thompson returns from a business trip to Tucson, he brings with him Janice, his new bride, and her brother Les and introduces them to his son Dan, foreman Jimmy Wakely and cook "Cannonball." Dan does not approve of another woman taking his mother's place, especially one young enough to be his sister, and insinuates that Janice is a "gold digger." Dan wants to leave and take some horses, which are due him, but his father refuses to give him the animals. Dan declines to listen to Jimmy's advice to give Janice a chance and heads into town. However, Dan is right about Janice, as she really is after his father's money and Les is not her brother, but her lover. After Bill agrees to allow Jimmy to hire Dan back as a ranch hand, Jimmy finds Dan at the saloon in town. Dan has arranged with rustler Danvers to steal some of his father's horses, and Danvers picks a fight with Jimmy. When Bill shows up, he changes his mind about letting Dan return. Later, Bill asks Jimmy to pick out two of their best horses for Janice and Les. Meanwhile, Danvers and his men are helping Dan to rustle some of his father's herd. After Jimmy, Cannonball and Janice spot them, Jimmy shoots one of the gang and chases after Dan on horseback. Dan threatens to shoot him, but Jimmy manages to talk him out of it. When Janice tells Dan that she blames herself for what has happened and promises not to tell his father that he was involved in the attempted rustling, she and Dan become friends. However, Janice has Les inform Bill about Dan's activities and, later, Les overhears Bill phoning his lawyer to arrange to disinherit Dan. Bill tells Dan that he is no longer his son and that he should leave. As Dan rides off, Jimmy, Cannonball and Janice arrive at the ranch house and find Bill dead, killed by a blow from a candlestick wielded by Les. However, it is Dan who is arrested and charged with his father's murder. When the marshal decides to move Dan to the county seat, the ever-garrulous Cannonball lets slip to Janice that he and Jimmy intend to free Dan and prove him innocent. Two deputies are escorting Dan when Jimmy and Cannonball, with bandanas over their faces, ambush them and free Dan just as the marshal and another deputy ride up and chase after them. Although Dan is hit, he and Jimmy ride on while Cannonball tries to delay the pursuers. Dan is too badly hurt to ride much farther so Jimmy puts on Dan's jacket and leads the marshal on a wild goose chase. At the same time, Cannonball takes Dan back to the ranch, where Janice patches him up. When Jimmy and Cannonball meet up again, Jimmy discovers that Cannonball told Janice about their plan and realizes that she and Les are behind all the trouble. Meanwhile, Janice sends Les to finish Dan off just as the marshal and deputies pass by the ranch. After Dan discovers that Janice and Les killed his father, Jimmy arrives and gets the drop on them. Unfortunately, the marshal enters, gun drawn, and arrests Jimmy for helping Dan to escape. Jimmy and Dan try to convince the marshal of their innocence and of Janice and Les's guilt. The marshal is about to take them all into town when Les draws a gun on him. As Les and Janice are about to shoot all of them, Cannonball enters and tricks Les into dropping his gun. The marshal arrests Janice, but Les escapes on horseback and is pursued by Jimmy, who knocks him off his horse. After a long fistfight, Jimmy defeats Les. Jimmy, Cannonball and Don then resume the business of running the ranch.