Johnny Murdock arrives in Gold Flats looking for his prospector father, who was grubstaked by Carter Morgan, a crooked representative of Brandon Enterprises who persuades prospectors to sign contracts whereby, if the miner dies, his claim becomes the property of the company. Morgan tells Johnny that his father has been killed by road agents, but his father's old friend, Dusty Hanover, tells Johnny that his father was really killed by Rex Hillman, one of Morgan's thugs. Dusty shows Johnny a reward poster for Brandon under another name, and although he cannot prove it, he is sure that Brandon is an escaped prisoner. Johnny and Dusty advise prospector Matt Cramer not to reveal details of a new strike he has made. However, Morgan finds a piece of ore that Matt has dropped, and has it assayed. He then checks his company's records and finds that they staked Matt. After Matt tells Johnny and Dusty that his strike in Dead Man's Basin is a real bonanza, he heads with Morgan, for the county seat to file his claim. Johnny spots Morgan's henchmen trailing Matt's stage, and he and Dusty follow them. On board, Morgan tries to get Matt to tell him the location of his strike and offers him a $10,000 advance. Matt starts to reveal the location but Morgan's men hold up the stage and shoot Matt before he can provide a definite landmark. Later, Morgan orders two of his men to kill Johnny and Dusty, but they fail to do so. Johnny and Dusty trail the men back to the saloon, where Johnny shoots one of them. He tells the other, Hillman, to let Morgan and Brandon know that he is gunning for them. On their way to tell Matt's wife about her husband's death, Johnny and Dusty encounter Brandon's daughter Marcia, an arrogant young lady. Meanwhile, Morgan reports the latest strike to Brandon, who is unhappy that another miner has died under mysterious circumstances. Matt's young son Bud is able to give Johnny and Dusty more information about the exact location of the strike from a letter he received from his father. They decide to locate the claim and file it in Matt's wife Mary's name. Later, Johnny visits Brandon's home and, in front of his daughter, accuses him of killing his father and Matt. Then in private, he shows Brandon the reward poster. After Johnny leaves, Brandon kills himself. Marcia tells the whole town about the potential strike in Dead Man's Basin and starts a gold rush. She is now in charge of her father's company and asks Johnny what was on the poster. Johnny decides not to tell her, and as evidence of her good faith, Marcia gives Johnny Matt's contract, which would have left his wife and son destitute, to destroy. In the meantime, Morgan orders his men to fake an Indian attack on the prospectors' wagon train as it approaches Dead Man's Basin. Mary tells Johnny that she believes that Marcia knew nothing of her father's illegal activities. When the "Indians" attack, wiping out the wagon train, Johnny rescues Mary, Bud and Marcia. Later, Johnny and Dusty discover the location of Matt's strike. When Marcia accuses Morgan, who wants to marry her, of being responsible for all of the killings, he tells her that her father was an escaped convict. Johnny interrupts and he and Morgan engage in a fistfight. After Johnny defeats Morgan, he and Marcia plan their future together.