At the trial, Ray testifies that he saw Tom kill Thornton and the trooper. Believing that he is now free, Tom goes to meet Laurie but is arrested by Langley for Thornton's murder and suspects that Laurie has set him up. Tom learns that Governor Davis has been deposed and the Bluebellies are finished. Subsequently, Abilene's marshal Jim Langley is advised that Tom and Sam will be arriving with the herd, but Langley proves to be an old friend of Sam's. Back in John's City, Ray is in the general store when the mail bag arrives and takes Tom's letter to Laurie. As the drive begins, Tom encounters Paul Creyton's twin brother Buck, and kills him. Meanwhile, Tom and Sam arrive in Red River to join a cattle drive to Abilene and Tom writes a letter to Laurie asking her to meet him in Abilene. Later, Ray tells Laurie and his father that Tom killed them and alienates Laurie from Tom. After they leave, Ray, who has been present in the saloon, kills Thornton and a trooper.

When Thornton refuses to draw his gun, Tom cannot shoot him and rides off with Sam. A bartender attempts to shoot Tom but is shot by Sam, who enters the saloon at that moment. Some time later, Tom finds Thornton in a saloon and orders him to draw. Laurie tries to persuade Tom to marry her and leave, but he feels that he must avenge his father.

Tom then decides to return home and finds that his father has been accidentally killed by Thornton. When Creyton later attempts to steal Tom's horse, Tom shoots and kills him. As they move on, they encounter Paul Creyton, another outlaw, who has had to shoot his injured horse. After Tom and Sam send Ray away, Sam presents Tom with two guns and coaches him in fast draws. Ray, who is extremely jealous of Tom's courtship of Laurie Bannerman, wants to capture Garrett and attempts to shoot him while he is sleeping, but Tom prevents him. They both manage to escape and plan to hide out in Big Bend country, but on their way there they befriend outlaw gunman Sam Garrett. To save Ray from additional physical punishment, Tom confesses to throwing the dynamite. Young Tom Cameron and his friend Ray Novack, son of the former sheriff, are suspected of having blown up the Bluebellies' station house and are arrested and interrogated by the brutal Capt. Davis, the law is enforced by a brutal, despotic organization called the Texas State Police, known as the 'Bluebellies.' As part of a campaign to vote Davis out of office, the citizens of John's City hold meetings which are frequently broken up by the Bluebellies. In Texas, during the 1870-1873 carpetbag administration of Governor E.

Cast of desperado