Oath of Vengeance

Disgusted by his life as a cowhand, Fuzzy Jones decides to turn in his spurs and take up shopkeeping instead. Fuzzy's friend, Billy Carson, joins him, and upon assuming ownership of the general store, the two discover long-simmering animosities between the local ranchers and farmers. The cattlemen, led by Dale Kirby, the sharp- tongued owner of the Kirby ranch, believe that the farmers have been stealing their cattle and hence have declared a vendetta. The theft of their livestock has driven Dale and the others to borrow from moneylender Steve Kinney. In reality, Steve and his henchman, Mort, are behind the rustling, plotting to force the ranchers into debt and then foreclose on their lands. Steve has also extended credit to the farmers, knowing that a range war will prevent their crops from being harvested and therefore their lands, too, will fall into his hands. Determined to settle the feud, Bill rides to the Kirby ranch, but Dale refuses to listen to his entreaties. On the trail home, Billy witnesses two gunmen ambush one of the Kirby ranch hands and drives away the assailants. He is too late, however, for the man dies of his wounds before identifying his attackers. Finding a blood-spattered pistol beside the man's body, Billy surmises that he wounded one of the assailants and alerts Fuzzy to be wary of anyone trying to purchase a new gun. In town, meanwhile, Mort notifies Steve that their attack on the Kirby cowhand has gone awry, and that Billy has wounded Bart, one of their henchmen. When Mort strides into the general store and casually asks to buy a new gun, Fuzzy tells Billy that he plans to follow Mort. Overhearing their conversation, Steve trails Fuzzy out of town and fires at him, forcing him to seek cover and lose Mort. Upon returning to town, Fuzzy reports the incident to Billy, who begins to think that someone is manipulating the resentment between the farmers and ranchers. Soon after, Dan Harper, one of the farmers, gallops into town pursued by Mort, Red and several other ranchers. When Mort accuses Dan of murdering Dale's cowhand, Billy insists that Dan be given a fair trial and escorts him to the town jail. Steve then instructs Mort to kidnap Dan, hoping to inflame suspicions and escalate the feud into a full-fledged war. On the day before Dan's trial, Mort and his thugs raid the jail and take Dan prisoner. As Billy scours the countryside for Dan's kidnappers, the town verges on war. After apprehending one of the kidnappers, Billy forces him to divulge where Dan is being held prisoner. Billy bursts into the cabin, overpowers Mort and the others and tricks Mort into admitting that Steve engineered the entire plot. In town, meanwhile, Dale and the ranchers issue an ultimatum to the farmers but Billy appears with Mort and Dan in time to diffuse the situation. Billy then accuses Steve of masterminding the feud and throttles him as Dale, Fuzzy and the others look on. Dale apologizes to Steve and offers him a job as foreman, but he declines. When Ma, the matronly post- mistress, declares her intention to marry Fuzzy, he decides it is time to foresake shopkeeping and move on.