Black Hills Ambush

While riding, Marshal Allan "Rocky" Lane rescues a young man after he falls down a hill, but upon being revived, the youngster is rude and distrustful. The sheriff then rides up with a posse, and claims the young man was holding fresh horses for the Black Hills gang, who just held up a freight wagon. Rocky eventually learns that the youngster's name is Larry Stewart, and his only surviving family member is a brother. The sheriff takes Larry to the nearest town, where Rocky is also headed to see his friend, Nugget Clark, who manages the freight office. After Nugget complains to Rocky that outlaws have been robbing his wagons, most recently stealing gold bars, Rocky decides to go undercover to help Nugget, and also mentions that he would like to steer the orphaned Larry away from a life of crime. To that end, Rocky and Nugget convince the sheriff to parole Larry to Nugget and his niece Sally. Meanwhile, the gang, lead by a thug named Bart, discovers that Larry is missing. Against Bart's orders, Larry's brother Clay tries to go back for him and is killed. Bart goes to town to meet with Gaines, a lawyer, and sees Larry leave with Rocky and Nugget. Concerned that Larry will identify the gang members, Gaines orders Bart to follow the trio. Bart and his henchmen attempt an ambush, but Rocky kills one of them and the rest escape. Larry refuses to identify the dead man, which makes Rocky believe that Larry has "good stuff," though his loyalty is misguided. During supper at Nugget's ranch, Larry imitates the others' table manners and admits he has never had food that good. He says he believes that Bart's men were trying to rescue him, but that he is afraid of Bart. Later, Larry pretends to go to bed, then sneaks out the window, and when Rocky catches him in the barn, confesses that he does not want to be a "squealer." Bart and his men try to abduct Larry, but Rocky fights them off. Finally convinced that Bart means him harm, Larry tells Rocky about the gang's cabin in a nearby canyon. In the morning, Rocky looks for the hideout, and when Larry realizes Rocky's plans, he follows to warn him of the danger, inadvertently alerting the outlaws when he calls out to Rocky. A gunfight erupts, but Rocky and Larry elude the gunmen, and circle back to the now unoccupied cabin, where they find no stolen goods. However, Rocky notices wood for making crates. He later discusses his findings with Nugget, and learns that only incoming freight wagons have been robbed. Realizing that the crooks cannot dispose of their loot in town, Rocky speculates that they re-crate it and send it out through Nugget's office. Nugget tells him where to find the last outgoing freight wagon, and Rocky, still acting undercover, holds it up, and finds the stolen gold bars. When the sheriff learns about Rocky's "hold-up," Nugget feigns surprise to keep Rocky's cover intact. Rocky hides the wagon in Nugget's barn and offers to split the gold with Bart and his men if he is put in contact with their leader. Meanwhile, a posse informs Sally of Rocky's theft, but Larry, not believing them, finds the wagon in the barn, and hoping to clear Rocky's name, rides to town in search of Nugget. Instead, he runs into Gaines and tells him about the wagon, unaware that the lawyer is the true leader of the gang. Gaines takes Larry to the cabin, where Rocky is waiting. Bart wants to shoot the two, but Gaines orders the killing to be delayed until the gold is secured. Leaving Rocky and Larry tied up and guarded, the outlaws ride to Nugget's ranch and take the wagon with the gold bars, making Sally their hostage. Meanwhile, Rocky and Larry attack the guard and free themselves. Larry races for the sheriff, and Rocky rides out to intercept Bart and Gaines. When Rocky catches up with the wagon, he disables the driver, but the other outlaws chase him until the posse arrives. After the gang is caught, Sally is freed, and the gold bars are retrieved. Larry, who is invited to stay at Nugget's ranch until he finishes school, announces that in a couple of years he plans to be a lawman.