Leadville Gunslinger

When Chet Yonker, a member of a gang of outlaws terrorizing the area around Leadville, is caught by Sheriff Nichols, Marshal Allan "Rocky" Lane is contacted to deliver the thug to the county seat. Before reporting to the sheriff, Rocky visits the ranch of his old friend, Nugget Clark, and meets Nugget's niece, Carol Davis, and her sweetheart, neighboring rancher Jim Blanchard. Jim intimates to Rocky that Nugget has been hit hardest by the outlaws and cannot make payment on a bank note that is shortly due. During dinner, Nugget tells Rocky that he believes there is oil on his property and a geologist will be coming the next day to confirm it. Nugget says he is meeting with trusted, neighboring ranchers later to offer them a cut of the oil proceeds if they will help him pay off his note. Meanwhile, Yonker breaks out of jail. That evening, Rocky talks with Nichols and tells him about his plans to go undercover and infiltrate the gang. Rocky returns to Nugget's ranch during the meeting and discovers a loiterer listening outside a window. As soon as he realizes Rocky has spotted him, the man races away. Rocky catches up with him, but in a struggle, the man accidentally shoots himself. Rocky realizes the man is Chet Yonker's brother Pete. By the time Rocky returns to the ranch, the meeting is over and Nugget reports that the other ranchers are interested in his proposal, but first want the existence of oil verified. In the morning Nugget meets with the banker, Jonathan Graves, and asks for another day on his loan, as the geologist is to arrive that day. After verifying the exact time of the geologist's arrival, Graves agrees to one more day. However, the geologist is killed when the stage is held up outside of town. Rocky rescues the injured driver from the runaway stagecoach, and the two agree to keep the geologist's death quiet until Rocky can determine the reason for the killing. Later, Rocky returns to the ranch, where Carol informs him that the geologist has arrived. The phony geologist, Cliff Saunders, tells Nugget that there is no oil on the ranch. When he leaves, Rocky trails him to the county line, where a "no man's land" of outlaw hideouts is known to exist. The entrance is guarded, so Rocky returns to the ranch and tells Nugget to spread the word that the geologist confirmed the existence of oil on the property. Nugget tells Graves that oil was found, but when Graves, who is the real leader of the outlaw gang, meets with Saunders later, he realizes that Nugget is bluffing and orders him killed. Meanwhile, Rocky arranges with Nichols to have a "posse" pretend to chase him to the "no man's land" entrance, where the guard witnesses his "escape" and believing him to be another outlaw, is convinced to let him enter. Rocky finds Yonker and claims he knew his brother Pete, and eventually, Yonker decides to let him join the gang. After Saunders arrives with Graves's orders, Rocky volunteers to kill Nugget. Yonker sends Rocky to Nugget's ranch without his gun, accompanied by Saunders and another thug, Ed. When Saunders attempts to kill Nugget, Rocky fights him and shoots Ed. Jim delivers Saunders to Nichols, with Rocky's request to send a posse to the "no man's land" entrance. Rocky proceeds to the hideout, but from his jail cell and without revealing Graves' cover, Saunders tells Graves that Rocky is a marshal working undercover as one of the gang. Graves races to the hideout and unmasks Rocky. Presuming that Rocky killed his brother Pete, Yonker then begins to beat him up, but is stopped by Graves, who wants to trade Rocky for Saunders. Rocky pretends to be knocked out until he is able to escape. The outlaws chase him, but the posse arrives and rounds up most of the henchmen. Graves and Yonker escape to the hideout, but Rocky pursues and apprehends them. Later, after a true geologist confirms that Nugget's land does contain oil, Rocky rides away to take his prisoners to the county seat.