El Paso Stampede

During the Spanish-American War, ranchers near the town of Clarksburg agree to sell cattle to the Army, but are unable to deliver, as rustlers steal the animals before they can be herded to El Paso. The secret leader of the rustlers is the town's respected dentist, Mason Ramsey, who has his men hide the cattle in a valley until they can proceed with their own plans. When the cattle fails to arrive as promised, Allan "Rocky" Lane, the Army's investigator, is sent to check on the problem. On the way, Rocky assists a stage driver who has just been ambushed by outlaws, presumably the same ones who rustled the cattle. His passenger, the town's new marshal, Zeke Banning, has been killed in the skirmish. After arriving in town, Rocky decides to work undercover, posing as an employee at the feed store owned by Nugget Clark and his daughter Alice. Unknown to the Clarks, another trusted employee, the elderly Josh Bailey, frequently uses the excuse of a chronic toothache to inform Ramsey of the ranchers' plans. At dinner one night, rancher Jim Stevens shows up wounded, saying the rustlers took his cattle. After rounding up other ranchers, Rocky and Nugget block the narrow pass out of the area and succeed in retrieving the herd. However, the rustlers escape unidentified. Meanwhile, Alice, while taking inventory, discovers that many sacks of grain are missing. Rocky guesses that the rustlers have stolen the grain for the cattle, and asks for Nugget's help in setting a trap, hoping he will be able to follow the thieves to their hiding place. That evening, Rocky hides in the storage barn and witnesses Josh help the thieves load a wagon with grain. Although Rocky tries to follow them, a gunfight commences. The wagon races off, but its speed causes the hitch to break and the wagon goes over a cliff and into the river. Back in town, Josh denies any wrongdoing, so Rocky has Nugget tie him up in the barn, then leaves to look around. Later, claiming to have a toothache, Josh howls in pain until Nugget gets Ramsey to check on him. After learning from Josh about Rocky, Ramsey arranges for his henchmen to break Josh free, but the attempt fails and they escape, leaving Josh behind. When Rocky frightens Josh with accusations of treason and warns him of the penalties, Josh agrees to confess, but Ramsey is eavesdropping from another room and shoots him dead, then slips away unseen. Rocky examines Josh's body and seeing false teeth, realizes that Josh's frequent visits to the dentist were unnecessary and probably a way to keep Ramsey informed of the ranchers' plans. A secret search of Ramsey's office uncovers a newspaper clipping about Jose Delgado, a buying agent for their wartime enemy, and Rocky guesses that Ramsey is planning to sell the cattle to him. Back at the feed store, Rocky and Nugget decide to make it known that they are returning grain to the wholesale distributor, hoping that Ramsey and the thieves will attempt to steal the grain en route and lead them to the hidden cattle. Knowing that Ramsey desires her and would believe anything she says, Alice takes it upon herself to bait Ramsey with the information, but inadvertently says too much when he forcefully kisses her against her will. He takes her captive and plans a counter trap. At the feed store, after Nugget finds a note Alice left, which tells him that she went to Ramsey's, Rocky and Nugget proceed there and find her purse. Guessing that Ramsey is on to them, they arrange for the ranchers to ambush the outlaws at a different spot. Later, when the outlaws chase the driver hauling the grain, Rocky and the ranchers are ready and after a gunfight, arrest most of the outlaws. Ramsey sneaks away, but Rocky follows him into the cave, where Alice is being held. While they fight, Ramsey escapes through the cave to a hidden valley, where the stolen cattle are grazing. After Rocky beats Ramsey, he is able to return the cattle to the ranchers, who arrange for the herd to be delivered to the Army. Later, after the cattlemen thank Rocky, Nugget offers him a job as marshal, but Rocky reminds him that he is needed for the war effort, and rides away to make his report.