Whirlwind Raiders

In Texas in 1873, the Texas Rangers were disbanded and replaced by the state police, a corrupt band who looted and killed while hiding behind the mantle of the law. While en route to the town of Indian Springs to meet his old friend Steve Lanning, a former Ranger, Smiley Burnette, an itinerant tinker, is accosted by a band of the corrupt police led by Buff Tyson, who confiscates Smiley's horses. At that moment, The Durango Kid, the masked rider for justice, gallops from the hills, guns ablaze, causing Smiley's horses to bolt. After stopping the runaway team, The Durango Kid shows Smiley a reward poster for Steve, who is wanted for bank robbery. Later, Steve rides into Indian Springs, whose businesses are solely owned by Tracy Beaumont, the man in control of the state police. When Red Jordan, a member of the police, slaps little Tommy Ross, Steve throttles the bully, thus earning the gratitude of Tommy's father Homer, a pillar of the community. Afterward, Steve meets privately with Smiley and Bill Webster, the town's newspaper editor. After confiding that he has been sent to expose the corruption of Beaumont and the police, Steve explains that the reward poster has been fabricated to make Beaumont think that he is disreputable. Meanwhile, at the saloon, Beaumont cheats Homer at another hand of cards, thus running up his debt to $38,000. Beaumont then offers to expunge Homer's debt if he agrees to act as figurehead for the police, and he agrees to think about it. Later, Beaumont notices Steve's wanted poster, and recruits him to the police force, assigning him to watch Homer. At the Ross house, The Durango Kid urges Homer to accept the job as police commissioner so that he can compile evidence against Beaumont. After The Durango Kid leaves the ranch, Tommy follows him and watches as he disappears into the woods and reemerges as Steve. After swearing Tommy in as a Ranger, Steve makes him promise never to reveal that he is The Durango Kid. Back in town, Beaumont opens his safe to show Steve the stack of tax warrants that he plans to serve on the ranchers to confiscate their lands. That night, disguised as The Durango Kid, Steve sneaks into Beaumont's office, opens the safe and copies the ranchers' names from the warrants. The next day, as the police begin to confiscate the ranchers' cattle in lieu of delinquent taxes, The Durango Kid races from the hills, saves the herd and drives off the police. After The Durango Kid blocks Beaumont's attempts to seize Webster's assets, Beaumont, plotting to discredit The Durango Kid, instructs Buff to disguise himself as the masked rider and rob the bank. When Buff runs out of the bank, however, his mask slips and Tommy recognizes him. Realizing that he has been exposed, Buff takes Tommy to Beaumont's office, where the boy blurts out that Steve is The Durango Kid. Beaumont takes Tommy hostage at his hideout in Granite Canyon, and soon after, Steve spots Tommy's riderless horse running home. When Smiley informs Steve that Tommy recognized one of the bank robbers and recalls seeing Beaumont, his carriage curtains drawn, heading for Granite Canyon, Steve rides to the canyon, overpowers the guards and rescues Tommy. In town, Buff and Beaumont watch for The Durango Kid, planning to arrest him for bank robbery. Steve outsmarts them, however, by hiding in Smiley's wagon and slipping into town. Meanwhile, Homer receives a letter officially disbanding the state police and re-instituting the Texas Rangers. As Homer convenes a meeting with Buff and Beaumont in Beaumont's office, The Durango Kid jumps from the closet and extracts the stolen money from the safe. Using his authority as a Texas Ranger, The Durango Kid places Buff and Beaumont under arrest, and when Beaumont fires his gun, Homer shoots back, killing him.