Laramie Mountains

In the Laramie Mountain region, after years of peaceful coexistence with whites, the Indians begin a series of inexplicable attacks on the supply trains to Fort Tourney. After one attack, a former deserter going under the alias Paul Drake and his partner, Carson, discover cavalry lieutenant Pierce wounded but alive and transport him back to the fort. Pierce reports to the commander, Maj. Markham, and Drake and Carson conjecture that Swift Eagle, a white man reared by Indians, led the latest attack on the cavalry. Markham asks the men to remain as scouts and they agree. When Sgt. Smiley Burnette sees Drake, he recognizes him as a deserter, but Carson threatens him into withholding the information from Markham. Markham tells Drake and Carson about his plan to capture and kill the Indians' leader, Chief Lone Tree, but reveals that the Indian Affairs Office has arranged a peace meeting between the Army and Lone Tree and Swift Eagle. Drake peruades Markham that if they can provoke the hot-headed Swift Eagle to break the treaty, the Army would have a valid reason to attack the Indians. The next day, Swift Eagle approaches Pierce for the peace meeting, while Drake and Carson circle around to attack. Pierce demands that Swift Eagle surrender for the attack on the supply trains, but Swift Eagle refuses. A fight breaks out among the men, and as Drake and Carson are about to attack, masked crusader The Durango Kid stops them. When Swift Eagle gallops off, Durango follows and both evade the cavalry. Durango presses Swift Eagle to use his influence to refrain from an Indian war, but he replies that the aggression has all been on the side of the whites. Back at Fort Tourney, Indian Affairs representative Steve Holden, The Durango Kid's alter ego, confronts Markham about the set-up of Swift Eagle at the peace talk. Markham insists the Indians will never accept peace. Drake slips away to some ancient, mountainous Indian caves, where his boss, brigand Henry Mandel, the mastermind behind the attacks on both the Indians and Army, hides out. Mandel knows that the caves are full of gold that can never be mined as long as it remains in Indian territory, and therefore is plotting to start a war to drive the Indians away. When Drake reports that Steve has arranged to meet Lone Tree with a small escort the next day, Markham waits to order a full-fledged attack if the meeting falls through. Mandel orders Drake and Carson to sabotage the meeting. The next day after Steve and his escort arrive in Indian territory, Steve rides alone to meet with Lone Tree and a disapproving Swift Eagle, who dissuades the friendly chief from accepting Steve's peace offer. When Steve returns to the escort, he finds them dead, the apparent victims of an Indian attack. As Pierce and a cavalry squad approach, Steve spots Swift Eagle on a hilltop and races after him. Swift Eagle evades Steve, but meets Durango, who forces him back to the attack site. Swift Eagle insists that the Indians played no part in the assault and discovers half of a horse shoe, which proves his claim, as Indians do not shoe their horses. Durango apologizes and asks Swift Eagle for his help. Back at the fort, Pierce reports to Markham that Steve fled from the attack scene and may have been involved. Smiley attempts to sneak a note to Markham informing him of Drake's identity, but is thwarted by Carson. When Steve rides back to the fort, he sees a hoof print with half a shoe, but just as he is about to identify the horse, Pierce arrests him. Steve gets Markham to agree not to raid the Indians if he can persuade Lone Tree to meet with Markham personally. Although Swift Eagle is wary about the arrangement, Lone Tree agrees and meets Markham at the fort. There Drake hovers, hoping to shoot Lone Tree, but is spotted by Swift Eagle. Both men accuse the other of attempted murder and Drake nearly convinces Markham to hold the two Indians hostage before Durango arrives and insists on allowing the men to go free. Swift Eagle agrees to prevent any Indian uprising until Steve can learn the identity of the half shoe horse owner. Steve follows Drake and Carson to the underground caves, which are full of Indian weapons, and overhears Mandel order the men to murder Markham with an Indian knife. Steve returns to the fort and asks Smiley to bring Markham, but instead Pierce arrives and tries to arrest Steve again, refusing to listen to his information about Mandel and the caves. Steve is forced to lock Pierce in a closet but draws a map to the caves and tells Pierce he can arrest him there. As Smiley tries to free Pierce, Carson arrives and attempts to stop him, while Smiley's dog Ring Eye makes off with the map. Steve meets Swift Eagle with the information about the attackers and takes him to the caves, but Drake spots them and they are overpowered and bound. Meanwhile, Smiley finally convinces Markham about the caves when Ring Eye returns with the map. At the cave, Mandel arranges to kill Steve and Swift Eagle, but they break away. While hiding in the back of the cave, they use the Indian weaponry to hold off Mandel's men until the cavalry arrives. Afterward, Markham formally apologizes to Lone Tree and Steve. Swift Eagle, whose father has been discovered to be a dead Army officer, is appointed liaison for the upcoming peace talks.