The Good Guys and the Bad Guys

Jim Flagg, Progress's town marshal, learns that his arch-rival Big John McKay is approaching. He warns Mayor Wilker and the townspeople about a possible train robbery. Wilker resents the panic and retires Flagg from his job and badge.

Flagg is captured by the outlaw gang while pursuing McKay. The young leader Waco takes command, and McKay's intervention helps Flagg escape from death. The two old enemies end up in a fistfight later.

Flagg brings McKay back to Progress and places him in a boarding house run by Mary, a widow. The arrangement keeps the fugitive under guard while the town debates his allegiance.

When the outlaws arrive to rob the train, the town's leaders still refuse to take the threat seriously. McKay sides with Flagg to thwart the robbery, solidifying an uneasy alliance between former rivals.

Grundy, Flagg's old friend, pretends to play the fool but is shot in the back by Deuce, one of the gang members. His death underscores the gang's ruthlessness and the stakes of the confrontation.

The outlaws plan to rob the train before it reaches the bank. Flagg and McKay board the train ahead of time but are detained in a privy. They break free, seize the locomotive cab, and take the crew hostage.

The train does not stop at the station and barrels into town. Mayor Wilker and the townspeople chase after the speeding locomotive while the outlaws pursue their stolen loot.

McKay uncouples the front cars from the rear passenger coaches, gaining a lead over the outlaws. The maneuver shifts the momentum of the chase and keeps the train moving toward danger.

The train rides on a broken track over a cliff and cannot be stopped in time. Flagg, McKay, and the workers bail out before the crash as the train plunges and explodes.

Outlaws catch up and loot the burning train compartments. Flagg and McKay ambush them and kill most of the gang in a frantic gunfight.

McKay catches up with Waco as he tries to escape and is wounded. McKay shoots Waco dead, and Flagg remarks that he beat him, while McKay counters that he did.

Mayor Wilker arrives to express gratitude for saving the town and preserving his political career. The journalist asks about governor prospects, and Wilker entertains the idea.

The new town marshal asks Flagg to take back his badge, but Flagg declines. He tells Boyle that to be successful you must learn to tell the good guys from the bad guys.

In a humorous close, Flagg arrests McKay and handcuffs him, joking that he will always keep his word. McKay protests, but Flagg insists on delivering the jail sentence.