The Texan

Orin and Ruth McKnight's May/December romance hits a rough spot when Bill Longley returns from a cattle drive with news that Orin's son from his first marriage died driving off rustlers. To make matters worse, Ruth's old beau has traveled all the way from Ohio to bring his former girlfriend home.

An alcoholic lawyer battles the local sheriff over voting procedures. Davis: Edgar Stehli. Sheriff: Robert Lowery. Longley: Rory Calhoun. Carlin: Charles Cooper.

Outlaws besiege a small town where their leader is jailed. Pete: Jon Locke. Cliff: R.G. Armstrong. Ruth: Mae Clarke. Atkins: Fay Roope. Mac: Wright King.

After Longley rescues the wounded Reverend Kilgore from two would-be bushwhackers, he learns that the parson was heading for Phillipsburg, a town with a reputation for killing men of the cloth. Bill decides to pose as the minister to investigate, but without his holster at the minister's insistence. With only Kilgore's Bible for protection, Bill attempts to rally the townspeople against the town boss and his crooked judge.

Longley, trapped by a landslide, is rescued by Johnny Hinshaw who the Texan soon discovers is on the run from the law. Johnny's accused of shooting a man after a quarrel and since he's already served a jail term and has two brothers on the run from the law he seems like a reasonable suspect to the sheriff - the more so since Johnny's sweet on the lawman's beautiful sister.

Though reluctant at first, Bill accepts the offer of his old friend Sheriff Ben Tildy to take the job as his deputy, even though several deputies have been killed over the past few years as two ruthless men have taken over the town, and the residents blame Tildy for the deputies' deaths.