Trailing Danger

Concerned about a gang of outlaws that has repeatedly held up the stage line his friend George Bannister oversees, cowboy Johnny suggests to Bannister that one of his employees must be tipping off the gang as to the line's shipments. To trap the traitor, whom Johnny suspects is a driver named Curtis, Johnny, Bannister and Bannister's faithful driver Waco announce in Curtis' presence their plan to fool the gang by sending their next gold shipment on a later stage than the one scheduled. As expected, Curtis reports Bannister's plan to the gang's ruthless leader, Jim Holden, whose nickname is "The Devil's Deputy." Suspecting the trap, Holden decides to break into the stage line's office that night and steal the gold out of the company safe. A trained safecracker, Holden has no difficulty opening the safe, but as he and his henchman Ray are removing the gold, Bannister and Waco, anticipating Holden's counter-move, burst in with guns raised. Ray goes for his gun, but is shot and killed by Bannister. As Holden is taken into custody, he declares that he will never be hanged and swears revenge on Bannister. Just before Holden is to be sent to the county seat, his men break him out of jail. An armed Holden then forces Bruce, a stage line employee, to reveal that Bannister is traveling with his niece Kay and Harold "Hal" Hathaway, the son of the stage line's owner, on one of his coaches. After Bruce informs them about his encounter with Holden, Johnny and Waco ride to intercept Bannister's stage before Holden and his gang can stop it. The stage, meanwhile, breaks down on the road, and although Johnny and Waco find it before the gang does, it cannot be moved. When Hal, an Easterner, suggests that Bannister stay behind with the stage so that he, Kay and fellow passengers Flo and Pennypacker will not be needlessly harmed, Johnny and Waco condemn him as a coward. Johnny and Waco then send the repaired stage back toward town with Bannister and Hal, while they keep watch on higher ground. As expected, Holden stops the stage, and Hal turns Bannister over to him without a fight. Disgusted by Hal's apparent cowardice, Holden takes him prisoner and vows to hang both men. Spying Johnny and Waco in his rocky hills above them, Holden sends some of his men to investigate. While Waco rides off as a decoy, Johnny sneaks up on the stage, but is spotted by Mason, one of Holden's men. Mason shoots at Johnny, causing the stage's horses to bolt. After Johnny stops the runaway stage, Holden and his gang engage him in a gunfight among the rocks. Waco, meanwhile, returns to the unguarded stage and releases Bannister and Hal. To their surprise, Hal then offers to help Johnny and Waco in the continuing gunfight. Accepting that he and Hal live by different but equally valid codes of honor, Johnny allows Hal to join the fight and sneaks off to stampede the gang's horses. With their horses gone, the gang retreats, and Johnny, Hal and Waco retrieve the stranded Kay, Flo and Pennypacker. Before they can continue their journey, however, Holden and his men return and split into two groups to ambush the stage. Johnny, Hal and Waco overpower one of the groups and force the captured men to reveal Holden's location. They then draw Holden and his remaining men out of their hiding place and, after a fierce fight, finally apprehend all of the outlaws. Later, Hal announces to Kay and Bannister that he and his father would like them to become his business partners, while Waco gleefully announces that The Devil's Deputy has been hanged.