In the last moment before the ore wagon crashes into a seemingly trapped Red Ryder (Donald Barry), the hero manages to stop the wagon with a huge piece of wood. Back at the Circle R Ranch, the Duchess (Maude Pierce Allen), Red's aunt, is preparing to mortgage her property in order to help her neighbors, whose ranches have been burned down by greedy banker Drake (Harry Worth) and Ace Hanlon (Noah Beery). The Duchess intends to pay back the loan when she sells her next shipment of cattle. This of course is a golden opportunity for Drake, who wants to take over the ranch and sell the property to the railroad. Hanlon orders his men to poison the creek that runs through the Circle R, but the scheme is detected by Little Beaver (Tommy Cook), who warns Red Ryder. Trailing the gang to the ranch water tower, Red is fighting several thugs when the tower, set ablaze by the villains, tumbles down on him. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi