In the town of Del Rio, a gang robs a bank and then goes out to their horses and ride off. The manager--Mr. Stone--runs out and yells for the sheriff, and one of the three gang members shoots him As the gang rides out of town, the sheriff comes out and fires, taking down Tom.
Later, the sheriff puts tom in jail and offers him a cigarette. He asks if Tom will tell him who the other two robbers, warning that Tom will hang if he doesn't. Tom insists that he didn't shoot Stone and the sheriff knows it because he saw his gun, but the sheriff admits that he doesn't think Tom didn't do it but he's the only one who didn't get away. He then tells Tom that Edith Collins is there, and brings her in. As the sheriff brings Edith in, he asks if she and Tom were planning to get married. She says that they were going to get married and Tom was saving money for a trip to California. The sheriff tells Edith to talk some sense into Tom to cooperate, and warns that he'll pay for the killing if he doesn't.
Edith goes to Tom's cell and they kiss. He says that he did it for them so that they could get to California, and he couldn't wait anymore. Tom wants her to take the coach to Laredo where the other two gang members, Bill Dover and Lou Turley, are. Edith is to tell them to get him out of jail or he'll talk rather than hang, and once he gets out he'll get his share of the money and they'll go to California.
The Rangers dispatch Hoby to Del Rio two days after the robbery to investigate the robbery, figuring the robbers have moved out of the sheriff's local jurisdiction. As Hoby heads to the hotel, he bumps into Edith and helps her put her things onto the stagecoach. The coach heads for Laredo, and the sheriff visits Hoby in his room. He tells Hoby what happened, and Hoby figures that Tom is desperate and should deliberately let him escape so he'll lead them to Dover and Turley.
Later, the sheriff tosses Hoby into a cell next to Tom's and says that he's wanted in San Antonio. Once the sheriff leaves, Tom asks Hoby what he's in for. Hoby refuses to talk to him.
In Laredo, Edith goes to the hotel and takes a room under a fake name. She asks for a Mr. Swanson, and the clerk gives her a room next to his. Edith takes it and goes to "Swanson"'s room. They kiss and Swanson—Dover--asks what happened. Edith passes on Tom's message and says that they're talking about a hanging. Dover says that they should buy her trousseau, and they kiss again.
Hoby calls over the deputy, asking for a glass of water. He brings it over, drops the ladle, and takes the deputy's gun when he bends over to get it. Hoby then orders the deputy to let him out, and locks the man in the cell. Tom asks Hoby to take him with him, offering to pay him half of his third of the stolen money. Hoby lets him out and they go out the back way. As they go, Hoby secretly tosses the deputy the cell keys.
The two men head out, and Hoby points out that they haven't seen anything of dover and Turley heading to Del Rio to get Tom out. They make camp and tom tells Hoby what happened. Tom says that he'll work alone from now on, and Hoby claims that he held up a stage in San Antonio. The younger man suggests that they team up, and he wants to get some land in California and raise a family with Edith. He explains that he went on the bank job to get the money, and Hoby tells him to stand watch while he gets some sleep.
The next day, Hoby and Tom continue on to Laredo. That night, Dover and Turley are out with Edith. Turley begs off and Dover and Edith go into a restaurant to eat. Hoby and Tom ride into Laredo They go to the hotel and the clerk says that an Edith registered and moved into the room of the man next door. He directs Tom to the restaurant as the only place in town to eat, and warns that she's with Dover.
In the restaurant, Tom finds Edith and Dover and approaches them. Dover claims that Turley left for Del Rio with some men to get Tom out, but Tom says that he came that way and didn't see anyone. Tom demands his money and Dover says that it's at his room at the hotel. Hoby goes with them to Dover's hotel room, and Edith finds Turley and tells him that Tom is in town with Dover.
As the three men walk to the hotel, Turley moves into position. Tom spots him and shoots, wounding him, and Dover punches Hoby and runs into the hotel. Hoby kills Turley when he takes another shot, wounding Tom, and then runs into the hotel and demands Dover's room. Once he has it, Hoby goes upstairs and tries the door. Dover shoots through the door and heads for the window, and Hoby shoots out the lock and comes in. He grabs Dover before gets out and takes him to the jail.
Edith watches as they take Turley's body away, and sees Hoby come out with Dover. Tom sees her and goes after her into the hotel. She goes to her room and packs to leave, and Tom barges in. Tom demands to know where Bill is, and she tells him that Hoby is a Ranger and has the money. He doesn't believe her and confirms that the money isn't in her luggage. Hoby comes in, gun trained on Bill, and says that he's going back to Del Rio. Dover has confessed to his part in the holdup, clearing Tom of murder, and Tom will only stand trial for armed robbery. Tom finally hands over his gun, and Hoby tells Edith that he's not going to bother with her... and neither will anyone else.
The next day, Hoby takes Tom and Dover back to Del Rio. Dover gets ten years, and Tom--a first-time offender, gets one to five years with recommendation for parole.
Written by Gadfly on Aug 6, 2017