The Fighting Stallion

At a U.S. Naval hospital, when Lon Evans receives his discharge after three years of service in the Philippines, Commander Patrick delivers the grim news that the war injury Lon suffered will eventually cost him his sight. Lon rejects Patrick's offer of Braille training and a Seeing-Eye dog, choosing instead to return immediately to his family's ranch in Laramie, Wyoming. Lon's father Martin greets him at the train station and says that two of his ranch hands were injured while corralling a horse that had escaped from the ranch as a colt and spent two years living in the wild. Lon admires the spirited white stallion, named Starlight, and despite warnings from his father and the ranch hands about the animal's violent temperament, he and the horse form an immediate bond. When the horse is broken and fully trained, Lon takes him out to the hills, where they encounter a herd of wild horses and Starlight reunites with his mate and their colt. To prepare himself for what is to come, Lon wears a blindfold while riding Starlight, and during one such ride he meets Jeanne Barton, the nurse at the Indian Head dude ranch. Lon and Jeanne spend a lot of time together and soon fall in love, but Lon worries that it would not be fair to her to continue their relationship. One day, a wild black stallion attacks and kills a pinto from the Evans corral, and when ranch hands Chuck and Yancy see Starlight standing near the body, they assume he is to blame. Lon defends his horse, arguing that Starlight would have marks on him if he had been in a fight, and Martin agrees to give Starlight another chance. Later, Lon and Chuck discuss a legendary wild horse called the Black Phantom, which is known to raid corrals for mares and kill other horses. Lon states that he caught a glimpse of the Black Phantom once and, suspecting that he is responsible for the attack on the pinto, determines to prove the animal is in the area to clear Starlight. While riding on the trail, Lon encounters Jeanne, who tells him she knows the truth about his condition but refuses to feel sorry for him. Later, Lon stops to drink from a spring and sees the Black Phantom, but before he can reach Starlight, he falls and is knocked out. Jeanne finds him and gets him back to the ranch, and Martin tells his men to shoot Starlight, but the horse escapes. Lon wakes up to discover he is completely blind, and tells his father that he trained Starlight to be his eyes. When Lon learns that Starlight is missing, he becomes deeply depressed. After Jeanne explains to Martin that Lon's will to live depends on their finding the horse, Martin orders his men to search the countryside for the horse. Starlight returns to the ranch, and Lon saddles him and rides off. When a forest fire breaks out, Starlight guides Lon to safety, only to come face to face with the Black Phantom. Lon allows Starlight to fight the Black Phantom, and after a fierce battle, Starlight prevails, earning Lon a $3,000 reward. Later, Jeanne tells Lon she has just received word that a doctor she worked with during the war is coming to the area and believes he can restore Lon's sight with an operation. Martin and the ranch hands express their admiration for Starlight and watch as Lon and Jeanne ride off together.