Outlaw Roundup

Tex Wyatt, Panhandle Perkins and Ruth Randall are bound for the town of Cedar Bluff when their stagedriver stops the coach to check the horses' harnesses before entering the perils of Cedar Pass. Ruth, the daughter of the town's sheriff, Jed Randall, explains that precautions are necessary because a gang of outlaws have been haunting the pass, which also serves as the entrance to Devil's Gulch, the fabled home of bandit Spade Norton, whom Ruth's father helped apprehend several years earlier. As the stage continues on its journey, a band of desperadoes attacks and shoots the driver. After securing the reins to the coach, Tex drives the team and outruns the outlaws. Frank Harkins, the leader of the gang, then rides to Cedar Bluff to report to his boss, saloon owner Red Hayden. At Hayden's saloon, Texas Ranger Jim Steele is serenading the patrons when Tex strides in with the news of the assault. Jim then sees a story in a newspaper about Spade's escape from jail, and Hayden suggests that the outlaw will return to Devil's Gulch to claim the $200,000 he has allegedly buried there. Glaring at Tex, Jim accuses him of being Spade and orders him to roll up his shirt sleeve. When Tex exposes a tattoo of the ace of spades on his forearm, Jim handcuffs him and leaves him in Hayden's custody while he goes to summon Sheriff Randall. After Jim leaves, Hayden offers to release Tex for a share of the money. When Tex agrees, Hayden uncuffs him and tells him to meet Harkins at Devil's Gulch. At that moment, Jim returns and Tex shoots him and flees. Sheriff Randall and Panhandle take the wounded ranger to the sheriff's house for treatment, and once they are alone, Jim reveals that he is uninjured and Tex slips into the room through the window. The lawmen then discuss their plan to apprehend the Devil's Gulch gang by having Tex continue to pose as Spade and trick the leader into exposing himself. Back at the saloon, Hayden confers with Dude Merrill, the town barber, who is the covert leader of the gang. As Dude and Hayden plot to double-cross Tex, the real Spade appears. When Spade boasts that he can prove his identity by leading them to the buried strongbox, Hayden accompanies him to Devil's Gulch. Panhandle, who has overheard the conversation, then warns Jim that Tex's cover has been exposed and that Dude is the mastermind of the gang. After jailing Dude, Panhandle, Jim and the sheriff head toward Devil's Gulch. Meanwhile, Harkins meets Tex at the gulch and leads him to the gang's hideout. Soon after, Hayden and the real Spade arrive, and Spade identifies Tex as one of the rangers who sent him to prison. As revenge for his imprisonment, Spade proposes to bury Tex alive in the spot in which he has hidden the strongbox. Before the gang leads him away, Tex slips off his spur and points it in the direction that they are heading. After overpowering the lookout, Jim, Panhandle and the sheriff arrive at the cabin and noticing Tex's spur, ride in that direction. As the outlaws dig up the strongbox, Tex knocks Spade down and the lawmen appear, guns ablaze, and drive away the gang. Grabbing the strongbox, Hayden gallops to town, followed by the lawmen. As Hayden hurriedly empties the strongbox, Spade enters his office and shoots him. Soon after, the lawmen arrive and face down the outlaws. With the gang jailed, the rangers bid the sheriff and Ruth goodbye and ride off to their next assignment.