Prairie Roundup

Former Texas Ranger Steve Carson, the alter ego of The Durango Kid, rides into a small Texas town just as the saloon is being held up. The robbery is interrupted when a masked man impersonating The Durango Kid takes the stolen money. Outside the saloon, Steve mistakes gunfire from the masked man's partner, Hawk Edwards, as coming from the impersonator and shoots him in self-defense. When the sheriff arrives, Edwards returns the stolen money and asserts that Steve murdered Durango. Steve prevents his friend, Smiley Burnette, from revealing his secret identity as Durango, and allows himself to be arrested. After Steve is tried and found guilty, Smiley confides to him that he overheard Edwards discussing the handsome sum he will be paid in Santa Fe for pinning the murder on Steve. Later, Smiley creates a diversion and helps Steve break out of jail. In Santa Fe, Edwards and his partner Poker Joe report to their boss, the corrupt head of the Santa Fe Cattle Company, Buck Prescott, who years before was run out of Texas by Steve and the Rangers. With the complicity of the town sheriff, Prescott and his men stampede cattle heading to market, then force the ranchers to sell the remaining cattle below market cost. Upon learning that a large, mixed brand herd is heading from Texas to New Mexico, Prescott has Edwards murder the herd's owner, Slim Williams, so Prescott can take over the herd and blend in his cattle. After Steve and Smiley discover Williams' body, they are found by cattle rancher Toni Eaton, who accuses them of Williams' murder. Once Steve explains his involvement, however, she asks him if he will guard her herd on the way to market in New Mexico. Steve agrees, telling Smiley that the drive will provide good cover for getting out of Texas. A few days into the drive, Smiley tells Steve he has heard of another cattleman, Kelley, whose herd was mysteriously stampeded and who undersold his remaining cattle to Prescott. As Durango, Steve rides into Santa Fe to investigate and saves Kelley from attack by Edwards and Poker Joe. Later, Edwards and his men stampede the Eaton herd despite a shootout with Steve. Bringing the remainder of the herd into Santa Fe, Steve meets Prescott and accepts the lower payment on the cattle, but accuses Prescott of the stampedes. Later, Steve directs Smiley and Kelley to prevent any further cattle drives into the area and returns to Texas to tell the Eatons about the loss of their herd. Having discovered that Steve is wanted for murder, Toni does not believe his account, but her father accepts Steve's story about the frame-up and Prescott's involvement. After returning to Smiley and Kelley, Steve foils another attempt by Edwards to stampede another herd. Angry, Prescott offers an additional reward for Steve, who is wanted dead or alive. Hearing of the reward, Durango confronts Prescott and promises he will capture Steve. Durango stops the next stage and takes the Santa Fe Cattle Company payroll, preventing Prescott from purchasing the mixed brand herd. In town, Edwards and Poker Joe try to grab Steve, but he escapes and after a shootout, Steve takes Poker Joe to the Eaton men's hideout to get a confession out of him. Concerned that Poker Joe will reveal their perjury in Steve's trial, Edwards sneaks Poker Joe a gun and tells him that he will create a diversion to allow him to escape. When Durango arrives, Poker Joe shoots at him, and Durango wounds him in return. Durango then shows Poker Joe that Edwards loaded his gun with blanks, prompting Poker Joe to reveal that Prescott and Edwards have hidden the stolen cattle in Lost Valley. Meanwhile, Toni arrives in Santa Fe and signs a contract with Prescott to sell him whatever cattle she and her men can round up. Durango arrives at Prescott's and when the sheriff tries to intervene, Durango wounds him and a fistfight breaks out. Prescott chases Durango into the streets, but Durango shoots him. Later, Steve is cleared by a confession signed by Edwards and Poker Joe, and Toni decides to head a cooperative cattle company back in Texas.