Loaded Pistols 1948

Following the death of his friend Ed Norton, Gene Autry sets out to find the killer. His search leads him to an old house where Larry Evans is in hiding. Larry’s sister Mary Evans defends her brother, claiming they both loved Ed, who acted as their guardian after their father’s death. Mary convinces the hunter that Larry is innocent, and he offers to help them evade the sheriff while the investigation continues. The town’s lawman, Sheriff Cramer Chill Wills, looms as the inquiry tightens.

Gene discovers that Larry’s gun, which was used in the killing, was offered as collateral during the dice game, so anyone could have taken it and fired when the room’s lights went out. To keep a posse at bay, Gene escorts Larry to a cabin belonging to his prospector friend, Jim Hedge Clem Bevans. While there, Larry explains that either Dave Randall or Don Mason suggested he place the gun, and Gene rides back into town to continue pursuing the real killer.

Back in town, Don Mason offers to buy the Evans ranch from Mary and help Larry escape across the border, a proposal that startles Gene with its scale. He overhears the conversation and heads back toward Jim’s cabin, only to be followed by the sheriff. Gene manages to warn Larry, but the young man also begins to doubt that Gene is truly on his side.

The next morning, Gene and Jim ride toward the ranch where Larry is hiding. After a tense confrontation, Larry realizes that Gene is indeed in his corner. Gene notices that Jim’s compass is behaving oddly and devises a trap to reveal the conspirators. The trap exposes Mason and his cohorts, Bill Otis [Fred Kohler Jr] and Dave Randall, as the killers who murdered Ed Norton in order to seize the ranch’s rich iron ore. With the truth laid bare, Larry’s name is cleared, and he and his sister Mary return to their ranch to safeguard its valuable ore.