Hidden Danger

At the office of the Cochise Cattlemen's Association, James Carson persuades several ranchers to join his organization to protect their rights against the Russell Packing Company. Rancher Terry Mason decides that he is satisfied with the deal he is receiving from Russell and declines to join. However, Carson has arranged with Perry, one of Terry's ranch hands, to run off and scatter a large portion of Terry's herd. Carson is quick to accuse the Russell outfit of having perpetrated the deed in order to warn Terry to continue selling to them. Terry refuses to be forced into anything and, along with ranch hand Alibi, sets off to see Russell. In the meantime, Russell has sent for Johnny Mack and his sidekick Juniper to be a trouble shooter for his company. Russell tells them that Carson is organizing ranchers against him by promising higher prices for their beef, although Russell is already paying top prices. As Johnny and Russell talk, Terry arrives and accuses Russell of running off his cattle. Johnny pretends to be outraged by Russell's activities and quits to join up with Terry in order to investigate what is really going on. When Carson comes to Terry's ranch to introduce his niece Valerie, who is visiting from the East, Terry tells him that Johnny has advised him to keep selling directly to Russell. Later, Carson instructs one of his henchmen, Benda, to run Johnny out of the area. Benda and others attempt to ambush Johnny, Juniper and Alibi but are run off after shooting Alibi in the shoulder. Back in town, Johnny recognizes one of the ambusher's horses and is told it belongs to Loop Henderson. Johnny finds Henderson and kills him in a gunfight. Later, Carson uses Valerie to get Terry to join his association, but, just as he is about to sign, Johnny arrives with some of the ranchers, who express dissatisfaction with the prices Carson is paying. Carson insists that the association is not fully organized yet and that they were told that prices might initially be low. After the ranchers leave, Carson tells Benda to send for a professional gunman, Trigger, whom Carson then pays $500 to kill Johnny. However, when Trigger sees Johnny, he returns Carson's money telling him he does not want to face Johnny. He also tells Carson that Johnny works for the Russell company. After Carson ups Trigger's fee to $2,000, Trigger tells Johnny that he has been hired to kill him. During the ensuing confrontation, Trigger draws first, but before he can shoot, Johnny fires and wounds him. Carson next tries to frame Johnny for the raid, using a letter he claims is from Russell to Johnny. The sheriff comes to arrest Johnny, but Alibi draws a gun on him and they escape. Valerie overhears her uncle order Benda to destroy Terry's ranch. Johnny then produces a genuine letter he has recently received from Russell, which will prove that the one Carson wrote is a forgery. After Valerie warns Terry and Johnny that Benda and his men are on their way to the ranch, a shootout and a chase ensue. All the gunmen are captured except Benda, who heads back to town. There Benda draws a gun on Carson and demands a large sum of cash but Carson shoots him. Johnny has followed Benda and captures Carson. As Johnny and Juniper prepare to leave, Valerie and Terry contemplate marriage.