Tim Mallory and his gang rob stagecoaches and rustle cattle, but take only what belongs to corrupt Bill Sanderson, who killed Tim's friend, Charles Adams. Tim had tried unsuccessfully to put Sanderson behind bars, but when that failed, he resorted to robbing Sanderson's illegal gains. Tim goes to the town of Goldland, where Adams' son Chuck works as a payroll clerk. Tim deposits the stolen money into a bank account in Chuck's name and gives him a pocket watch that belonged to Adams. Tim is upset to learn that Chuck will be the decoy carrier of the payroll, which Cash, a former member of Tim's gang, intends to steal. After Chuck leaves on his route, Tim finds Cash and relieves him of the stolen payroll. He then finds Chuck, who was fatally wounded during the robbery. Before Chuck dies, he tells Tim that the Howger gang was responsible. Tim rides back to town and returns the payroll to Chuck's boss, Rutledge, and Rutledge's daughter Joice. Impressed with Tim's bravery, Rutledge convinces Sheriff Jordan to deputize him so that he can eradicate the Howger gang. Tim begins cleaning up the town by turning an old shack into a jail, and after he arrests a man who tried to shoot him, he bans carrying guns within town limits. Rutledge invites Tim to dinner, but Joice pleads with Tim to leave before he gets killed, as two other deputies have. Tim refuses, saying he must fight for what he believes in. During dinner Rutledge invites Tim to make a speech at the church social on Wednesday. At the social, everyone is having a good time until Howger's drunken gang shows up and destroys everything. Tim subdues them and makes them pay for the damages. Disgruntled, Howger and his boys resolve to find some way to tarnish Tim's reputation and make the townspeople run him out. In the saloon, Howger overhears Cash laughing at Tim's badge and finds out about Tim's past from Cash. During the ruckus that follows when Howger tells the townspeople, Tim sees that Howger has Chuck's pocket watch. Tim is knocked out and put in his own jail, but is let out by Joice. Tim takes the gun she offers him and heads to the saloon to capture Howger and prove that he killed Chuck. Tim succeeds in outdrawing Howger, and after Chuck's watch is found on Howger's body, Rutledge offers Tim a permanent job as sheriff. Tim then playfully arrests Joice for helping in a jailbreak and tells her that she will receive a life sentence.
