Valley of the Lawless

Sharpshooter Bruce Reynolds tracks down veteran gang leader Jenkins in order to locate a treasure map that Jenkins' gang stole from his grandparents. Years before, when Bruce's family and friends had arrived in the West by wagon train, they received word that Jenkins had joined forces with Chief Eagle Claw and his tribe and were about to attack the pioneers. Bruce's father Ed and his friends buried their gold on the spot, and Ed wrote down its location, but was killed in the massacre. Jenkins absconded with the treasure map, but was forced to flee before he could dig up the treasure. Presently, two men who were originally part of Jenkins' gang, Brandow and Dorigen, have come to town to reclaim the map from Jenkins, who double-crossed them. While tracking Jenkins on his horse, "Pinto," Bruce is forced to kill Brandow when he shoots Jenkins. Because the map is tattooed on his chest, Jenkins hides his wound from the sheriff and charges Bruce with the murder of Brandow. Jenkins' son Amos and Amos' children, Joan and Billy, visit Jenkins and find his cabin ransacked. Jenkins returns home and dies, but not before revealing his tattoo, which leads the Jenkins family to the Valley of the Lawless. Meanwhile, Bruce escapes from prison and rides into the same valley, where he meets renegade Garlow, who controls the valley with his gang of outlaws. After Bruce proves he is one of the lawless by showing Garlow his "wanted" poster, Garlow challenges Bruce to a fistfight and a quick draw. Bruce bests Garlow and shoots his gun out of his hand, and Garlow allows him to pass into the valley. The Jenkins then naively enter the valley and, when Garlow and his men hold them up, claim to be homesteaders. Bruce rescues them by intimidating Garlow and his men, who have dubbed him "Tiger," into believing he can outshoot any of them. He then puts the Jenkins up at his cabin. Cliff Graves, the sheriff's son who wants Joan to marry him, arrives and asks her to return to town with him, but she refuses, telling him she loves Bruce. Billy, meanwhile, affectionately calls Bruce "Tiger," and shares his secret about the treasure. Dorigen, meanwhile, joins forces with Garlow, and they kill Amos as he is about to break ground with his shovel and steal the map. Cliff arrives on the scene and, when he sees Bruce approach, retreats. When Bruce rides off to capture the killers, Cliff retrieves the body and, out of jealousy, tells Joan that Bruce, a fugitive wanted for murder, just killed her father. Bruce trails Garlow and Dorigen to their hideout, where they make a pact not to tell the rest of the gang about the treasure. After Bruce is recruited into the gang, he holds up Garlow and Dorigen out of the gang's sight, and retrieves the map. Billy arrives, hurt and angry at Bruce for apparently betraying his secret and killing his father, and tells the gang about the treasure. When Garlow calls for help, the gang runs to untie him and Dorigen, allowing Bruce and Billy to escape. At the cabin, Bruce tells the story of the Jenkins' raid on his grandparents' wagon train, but Joan and Billy do not believe him. Bruce rides off to find the treasure, while Garlow and his men interrogate Joan and Cliff about Bruce's whereabouts, threatening them. Billy hides and then rides to Bruce. To save Joan, whom he loves, Bruce gives Billy the map to hand over to Garlow. To keep Cliff from having his father arrest the gang, Garlow draws his gun to shoot Cliff, but Bruce shoots Garlow, who falls. The gang opens fire on Bruce, who flees, and Dorigen retrieves the map from Garlow and leaves to get the gold. The sheriff and his posse, whom Cliff sent to capture Bruce, finally arrive. While the posse rounds up the gang, Bruce explains all to the sheriff, who clears him of the original murder charge. Back at the cabin, Cliff still insists that Bruce murdered Amos; and Bruce, believing Joan loves Cliff, gives her the map and allows the sheriff to arrest him. As Joan and Billy sadly watch Bruce depart, Cliff confesses to Joan that he blamed Bruce for the murder in order to win Joan. Elated, Billy and Joan run after the sheriff and his innocent prisoner.