Rustlers 1949

In the Old West town of Trail Cross, two out-of-work cowhands, Dick McBride and Chito Rafferty, roll into trouble as they cross paths with a ruthless rustler, Mort Wheeler who fixates on the sultry saloon singer Trixie Fontaine. A brawl erupts in the bar, but saloon owner Brad Carew breaks it up and sends Wheeler to the nearby Bar One ranch. At Bar One, rancher Frank Abbott and his neighbors discuss a wave of cattle thefts connected to Wheeler’s gang. Wheeler delivers a ransom note penned by Carew, demanding $2,000 for the return of Frank’s stolen cattle, but Frank refuses to pay and declares he might sell the Bar One. His strong-willed daughter, Ruth, steps forward with a plan to identify the rustlers by using marked money, and the other ranchers pool their cash in hopes of catching the thieves. Ruth’s audacious scheme begins to unfold as Dick and Chito ride toward the Bar One in response to a vague “help wanted” notice, only to be shot at by Ruth herself who mistakes them for rustlers. Dick disarms Ruth and, in a playful rebuke, chides her for being unfeminine.

Along the way, Frank encounters the pair and explains he isn’t hiring, but he still bears the burden of a potentially troubled sale of the ranch. He later delivers the ransom money to the masked Wheeler, who won’t disclose the cattle’s whereabouts. Meanwhile, Chito stops by the saloon to bid farewell to Trixie. In a lucky turn of fate, Chito accidentally drops a coin on a roulette wheel and wins a bet; he repeats the spin and pockets a sizable $6,000. The duo heads to Carew’s office to collect their winnings, but Carew pulls a gun. Dick disarms him, and with Carew held at gunpoint, Chito pockets $6,000 from the office safe. The cowboys escape with their haul and ride back to the Bar One, where Frank contemplates selling a quarter of the ranch to them for $5,000. The sight of the marked ransom money among Dick’s cash unsettles Ruth and Frank, who quickly turn the pair over to Sheriff Harmon and demand Carew’s arrest as well.

The sheriff, who quietly leads the gang, orders Carew to leave town and reveals his plan to stage a jailbreak that would end in Dick and Chito’s deaths. Before Harmon’s plan can unfold, Trixie slips Dick and Chito a cake containing a hidden pistol, helping them escape. They track Carew to the Bar One and force him to a confession, hoping to uncover the gang’s leader. Wheeler, however, shoots Carew through a window, and he flees back into town. Trixie, keeping the wheel of fate turning, informs Frank and Ruth that Wheeler and Harmon are inside Carew’s office. Confronting the two men at gunpoint, Dick soon finds himself in a fierce showdown with the gang, who trap him in a burning stable. As the flames close in, Dick fights his way free, while Trixie races to the Bar One to alert Frank and Ruth about the sheriff’s alliance with Wheeler. Realizing Dick and Chito’s innocence, Frank releases Chito and helps rescue Dick, who manages to lassos Harmon as the blaze roars.

In the aftermath, Ruth, softened by the ordeal, appears in a frilly dress and asks Dick to stay, grateful for the help and the chance at a new future. Dick reveals that he and Chito have bought a share of the Bar One, signaling a fresh start for both men and the town’s ranching community. Hearing this, Trixie playfully presses Chito about marriage, but the confirmed ladies’ man bolts onto his horse, choosing the road ahead over a quick vows and a settled life.