- Tex Sherwood has just come into possession of a valuable piece of land that will be irrigated by a new dam. Banker Holman knowing the deed must be registered the next day, offers a $50,000 reward for Tex's capture.
- In western Montana in the 1920s, men rode horses as a means of transport. In Montana, things often happen with a surprising suddenness. A brawl including guns is unfolding across the street where a business owner notices and calls for help. "Get him boys, don't let him get away" is shouted by a wealthy banker. After more brawling a man breaks through the mob declaring "I've got what you're after, try and get it." The banker shouts, "$50,000 reward to the man who gets him." The men start running after Tex Sherwood (Ken Maynard) who has climbed the rooftop and reaches his horse Tarzan and rides away. The group of men all hop on their horses and follow Tex until they see he has gone up a steep bluff with his horse to which the others cannot follow. Tex Sherwood is a cowpuncher from the Rio Grande, the cause of all the excitement, who has come to transact some business of a personal nature. Texas cowboy Tex Sherwood arrives in Belmont, Montana, to register his title to land he has inherited. Buck Scofield (Edward Peil) is the leader of a lawless outfit in pursuit. Tarzan is Tec Sherwood's horse. Tex assures his horse, "We fooled 'em boy, didn't we?" Tarzan nods, and Sherwood rides him down onto the other side of the hill. Asa Holman (Frank Whitson) is the president of the bank and a big man in local affairs. He tells his lawyer, Eli Higgins (Wm. Moran), "Tex Sherwood is in town with the papers. I've offered Buck and his gang $50,000 reward to get those documents.". Holman looks concerned, saying "I have millions at stake. If he records those papers, I am ruined." Banker Asa Holman, Buck Schofield, and their cohorts are determined to stop him, however, because of a large reclamation project and a million-dollar dam financed by Holman on Tex's property The dam is nearing completion in the mountains. Anthony Jordan (Bert Lindley), engineer in charge of the construction project has been injured in the course of work Carolyn (Esther Ralston), his very capable daughter is pushing the project through under her father's direction. Tex arrives at the dam site just when Carolyn is inspecting the project. She has slipped and is sliding down a slue. Tex rescues her but scampers off as Buck arrives. Carolyn refuses to give Buck any details about Tex's whereabouts. Buck warns her not to get sweet on the Tex as he wants Carolyn for himself. The Miller ranch is located a few miles up the valley and is known for its open-hearted hospitality. Ma Miller (Lillian Leighton) has a heart as big as a house. Ma incites to Pa Miller (Chas. Newton) that Shorty and the boys have disappeared and Pa needs to get them back mighty quick. Pa Miller is a good old sport. Ma is always hounding pa about the boys. Freckles (Augusta Ain) is an orphan adopted by Ma. Snowball (Ananias Berry) is a black chore boy at the Miller Ranch. The boys tangled over an apple. A bigger disturbance is six Follies girls (Olive Trevor, Fern Lorraine, Katherine DeForrest, Edith Flynn, Grace Fay, Nancy Zann) from Broadway who are spending their vacation on the Miller Ranch. The ladies have gone swimming but flee when they think they see a bear. They bump into Tex. To their relief, the group discovers it is just a man in a bear skin. Buck and his ruffians close in. Tex stops their progress with his rope strung across the road and rides off on Tarzan. Tex arrives at the Miller Ranch seeking board and lodging. He helps Ma break up a fight between Freckles and Snowball and them discovers the Follies are guests at the ranch. Ma Miller explains that she was in show business before she was married and hosts a few girls each summer. Buck sneaks up and pulls his gun on Tex. Buck demands the deed papers from Tex promising to let him go if he complies. Ma Miller emerges from the house with a rifle and defends Tex as a guest at their ranch. Buck promises to return and retreats. Tex tells the Millers about the price on his head and the trouble he will cause if he stays. Ma insists there is plenty of room for everyone. Buck instruct his henchmen to surround the ranch and they will "pot" him the moment Tex shows his nose. With the fall of night, Tex decides to call on the lady he fancies, Carolyn. Tex is shot at as he leaves but is uninjured. Buck arrives at Carolyn office first, argues with Carolyn, and roughs up her father Anthony. Tex rides past Buck's cohorts who are shoot at him but he outmaneuvers them on his horse. Buck tells Carolyn that he was her father's foreman before Anthony fired him and that is one account that has not been squared yet. Tex arrives, tussles with Buck, and tosses him out of the office. Carolyn introduces Tex to her father, Anthony Jordan. Tex explains that the has inherited the original deed to the desert land below the dam that will be irrigated and become valuable. Asa Holman and Eli Higgins only got title to the land some years later with a faulty deed. Carolyn explains that she is hurrying the work on the dam to finish by the deadline so her father can collect a $100,000 bonus. Tex says Carolyn is the one he has searched the world for and Carolyn replies that Tex is the one she has dreamed about. Anthony has nodded off to sleep. After a rather fresh kiss, Tex is off but has left his deed behind in the office. On his way back to the Millers, Buck's ruffians again try to shoot Tex, but Tex trick rides on Tarzan and the would-be assassins do not see him hiding on the opposite side of his horse. Buck makes plans to breech the Miller's house after everyone goes to bed. Reading the deed document back in the office, Carolyn discovers the deed must be recorded by noon the next day or it will be voided by the statute of limitations. Carolyn decides she must take the papers to Tex at once. Buck's men break into the Miller house. They enter the bedroom shared by the Follies. After some fist fighting and gun shots, Tex, Pa, and Ma Miller are able to clear out the intruders. Carolyn arrives when one of the Follies is showing their gratitude to Tex and is heartbroken, though she does not see Tex send the girl off. Carolyn thinks long and hard but then gives the papers to Ma Miller. Three of the ruffians grab Snowball outside. The send snowball to the house with a note. Ma tells Tex about his deadline to file the papers. The note Snowball delivers demands that Tex surrender his papers at dawn. Tex says the county seat 50 miles away and wants to set up a relay of horses to make the run for his money. At dawn, Tex Sherwood is ready to leave and Pa assures him the horses are ready. Shortly after, Tex takes off with Buck's despots in hot pursuit. Ten miles later, Tex changes horses and Buck and his man fall behind. Some of Buck's men commandeer a motor car and offer the driver $1000 dollars to catch that "jasper" ahead of him. Tex gets another horse and crosses the railroad tracks just ahead of the train. The car is forced to stop on the other side as the train passes. Tex mounts his last horse five miles away and only minutes until noon. As the automobile closes in, Tex takes his horse off the road and eventually the car cannot follow. Tex's race now is against the clock. He dismounts outside the courthouse. He is accosted at the door but manages to get inside with a minute to spare. The next day brings a council of war. Attorney Higgin advises Holman and his group of rancher investors that the Texan has the advantage on them. The rancher investors insist they do not want to lose their investment. They suggest a compromise. Tex enters the banker's office and offers to sell his land to them or buy the dam that makes the land valuable. Holmen and Higgins wants nothing to do with Tex. Tex reminds them that the investor group has already sold some of the land and restitution would have to be made or they would go to prison. Higgins threatens that the case could spend years in litigation. They offer to buy the land from Tex for $1 million. Tex counters with a price of $5 million, or about half what he figures the land is worth. Tex leaves the meeting as Carolyn walks by. She tells him she wants nothing to do with him after she saw his disgraceful conduct with the chorus girl. She ignores his attempt to explain and enter the bank. She has come to Holman and Higgins for the payroll and assures the men the dam will be completed on time, so her father earns the contracted bonus. They assure Carolyn that there is no rush to complete the dam because of changing circumstances. After Carolyn departs, Holman, Higgins and Buck Scofield decide the dam work must be delayed and Tex Sherwood must be "fixed". At the end of the week, Buck bribes the foreman of the dam project to get the workers to go on strike. Carolyn assures her father the job will be done on time. Tex tells Pa Miller he is leaving Montana and returning to Texas, as money means nothing when the sweetest girl in the world has turned him down. Tex tells Ma that he is kind of homesick. Ma gives him a big smooch and the Follies smother him with hugs and kisses. As Tex leaves town, Bucks men lasso him and knock him off his horse. They capture Tex and tie him up outside of town. Meanwhile, Carolyn is alerted the men have gone on strike. Buck leaves Tex with two guards to pursue Carolyn. Carolyn is convinced Holman is behind the strike. When Buck enters the office, Carolyn pulls a gun from the bureau momentarily fending off Buck. She states she is going to force the men back to work. Tarzan wonders by and Tex implores Tarzan to untie him. Tex is freed from the ropes, steals the guns from the two guards left behind and rides off on Tarzan to the dam site. He climbs ladders and goes up in the cement bucket elevator to the top of a high tower. There he wrestles with one of his pursuers and throws him to his death. He escapes the other men by zip lining back down to the bottom of the dam. Meanwhile, Buck has roughed up Carolyn and her father and carried Carolyn off driving away in a buckboard wagon. Seeing this from a distance, Tex sets off on his horse Tarzan chasing them down. Carolyn wrestles with Buck and finally throws him off the wagon. By this time, the team of horses pulling the wagon are running at top speed and out of control. Tex eventually runs down the buckboard, leaps aboard and stops the pair of horses pulling it. Carolyn is in shock after the trauma of the wild ride. Meanwhile, the follies at Miller Ranch are longing for Tex's return. Asa Holman tells Anthony Jordan that he has lost his bonus because the dam project is not complete on time. Tex returns with Carolyn and Buck who is semi-conscious after his fall from the wagon. Tex reports that Buck is willing to turn states evidence against Holman for conspiracy and send him to prison. Holman agrees to give Tex his price for his land. Tex also demands that Anthony Jordan gets his bonus and that is added to the agreement. Buck rises up and whacks Tex with an axe handle on the back of the head knocking him unconscious. Buck intends on running off with Carolyn and assures her there will be no road home this time. Holman chastises Buck Scofield for spilling the beans on their conspiracy but Buck denies the allegation. Tex awakens and a fight ensues between Tex and Buck across the top of dam under construction. After a lengthy violent encounter,, Buck slips over the edge of the dam. Tex tells Carolyn it was an accident and that he is going back to Texas. She tells Tex if he is leaving, she is going with him. They kiss.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content