The Old Oregon Trail

Thomas Mercer, his wife and daughter Billie, are part of a small wagon train traversing the mountains south of the Old Oregon Trail towards the John Day River, where they hope to settle. After maneuvering the wagons down steep inclines, the Mercers reach the riverbank, intending to cross the river the next day. When a gang of outlaws run off their horses, drunken cowboy Calamity Joe and his two hard-drinking pals help the Mercers recover the animals. The trio sobers up overnight and is invited to join the train as it crosses the river to reach the frontier town of Condon. During the journey, Joe and Billie become romantically interested in each other, but when they reach Condon, Joe and his friends decide to return to their hometown. There Joe, who has pledged to Billie not to drink anymore, becomes involved in a gunfight in a saloon, then decides to head farther West to more peaceful climes. Ten years pass and Thomas, now a widower, has become a very successful rancher on the outskirts of Condon. However, he is beset by labor problems during the wheat-harvesting season when his foreman and ranchhands demand more money. Meanwhile, Joe and his pals have joined the rodeo circuit, and when they visit the now thriving town of Condon, Thomas and Billie attend and are excited to see Joe performing rope tricks. When Billie and her father invite Joe to their ranch for a meal, Joe witnesses the ranchhands trying to force Thomas to sign a new work agreement. After Thomas says that he wishes he could find other men to replace his current crew, Joe arranges for his pals from the rodeo to bring the harvest in. The ranchhands retaliate by setting fire to the wheat fields, but Joe and his men manage to extinguish the flames and then engage the hands in an extensive fistfight. When the foreman returns to the ranch and attempts to kidnap Billie, Joe rides back in time to save her. The foreman draws his gun, but Joe shoots him, ending the conflict. After Billie is reunited with her father, Joe decides to settle down with her and become a rancher.