Bat has been asked by Red Mitchell the son of a friend to meet him outside the town of Lordsburg, New Mexico. When Red is several hours late, Bat rides into Lordsburg to find him. His first stop is at the Sheriff's office where he learns that Red was killed playing poker with three men to whom he had lost before. Bat knows the sheriff, Zeke Armitage, from Dodge City as an honest man.
Bat plays with the same three men who use the same trick on Bat. While two of the players start an argument, the third man Ace Williams uses the commotion to hide him pulling a card from the bottom of deck for his hand. The men refuse to give Bat his $1200 back, telling him to leave town the next day. That night first the Sheriff asks Bat to leave town followed by his wife Cally coming into Bat's room to ask the same thing. Her jewelry tells Bat and even her that Zeke is taking money on the side.
Realising that killing Bat Masterson will bring a U. S. Deputy to investigate, Ace and his partners force the Sheriff to kill Bat legally. But Bat persuades the sheriff's wife to help him bring her husband back to his senses ...
Rather neat story where Bat doesn't just deal with the culprits who killed his friend's son but shakes up the sheriff so he can see sense. George Kennedy plays the once honest sheriff who takes money from the villain to turn a blind eye - Pretty Audrey Dalton plays his wife who wears the best jewellery due to her husband's duplicity. Nice shoot out at the end - very fast, no dramatics.
