Stagecoach Kid

Wealthy San Franciscan Peter Arnold leaves city life and moves with his daughter Jessie to a western ranch. Jessie resents the move and dreams of returning to San Francisco for romance. The stage is set for a clash between frontier danger and domestic longing.

Thatcher, the ranch foreman, covertly recruits Clint and Parnell to murder Arnold en route to the ranch. They set out along the trail with the intent to collect the money and remove the obstacle. The threat marks the start of a pursuit across the plains.

Clint and Parnell attempt an ambush on Arnold's party, but the stagecoach line owners Dave Collins and Chito Rafferty intervene and foil the attack. The would-be killers retreat empty-handed, while Dave notes clues that could expose them. The clash heightens the danger to Arnold and Jessie.

Clint and Parnell attack a second stagecoach, hoping Arnold is aboard, but they instead steal a strong box with $20,000. Jessie, disguised as a boy, is aboard and later identifies Parnell when his mask slips. Dave and Chito realize the theft was connected to Thatcher's crew.

Dave and Chito report the robbery to the sheriff and begin tracking the suspects. Their observations of the horse brand help them link the crime to Parnell and Clint. The town starts to rally around recovering the money and the missing Arnold.

Mr. Arnold arrives at the sheriff's office to report his daughter missing, while Dave and Chito also bring news of the earlier assault. The sheriff begins to coordinate a search as the stakes grow higher. The family is pulled deeper into a web of threats.

Dave locates Parnell in the bar and a fight erupts. Parnell is taken to jail, while Clint escapes to warn Thatcher. The town atmosphere thickens with tension as the pursuit continues. Jessie slips away from Birdie in the ensuing confusion.

Thatcher and Clint ambush Dave and Jessie; a gunfight erupts when they realize Jessie can identify the attackers. Jessie fires and Clint withdraws; Dave avoids a fatal shot and reasserts protection for Jessie. Thatcher's plan to recapture the girl drives them toward a deeper conflict.

Mr. Arnold returns to the sheriff's office to reveal that Jessie dressed as a boy, though Dave and others already suspected. The entourage departs town to search for Jessie, increasing the sense of a manhunt. Jessie and Dave's bond begins to crystallize amid the danger.

Thatcher and Clint raid the sheriff's office, kill the lone deputy, free Parnell, and ride off to pursue their own ends. The town's leadership is shaken as law and order breakdown accelerates. Chito and the others become more determined to stop them.

Chito and Mr. Arnold locate Dave and Jessie; Jessie confirms she is a girl, a fact Dave had already figured out. The pair realize their danger is far from over as the villains close in. The dynamic between Jessie and Dave deepens against the backdrop of mounting threats.

Parnell returns and counsels Clint to hide Thatcher's involvement, planning to handle Jessie elsewhere. Thatcher tries to stall by fabricating a cattle sale with a fake $20,000 sum, buying time but tying their fates to a doomed scheme. The tension escalates as loyalties fracture.

Jessie tells her father she no longer wants to return to San Francisco and confesses her attraction to Dave. Dave, while generous, politely rebuffs the advance, prioritizing realism and safety. The moment deepens their bond even as danger looms.

Parnell and Clint force Mr. Arnold to open the safe, while Dave, Chito and Jessie ride up for a final gunfight. Dave leaps onto the criminals on horseback from the roof, a dramatic rooftop assault that ends with Parnell dead and Clint subdued. Thatcher and the others are left to face the consequences.

Mr. Arnold gives his blessing for Dave and Jessie to marry, sealing their union against the world. Birdie arrives in a wedding dress with romantic plans for Chito, who hastily rides away as Birdie chases. The film closes on a note of personal triumph amid continuing frontier dangers.