To protect his land from the possibility of pollution, ranch owner Gene Autry (Gene Autry) sides with fellow ranchers who are fighting the plans of banker Maxwell (William Farnum), who wants to drill oil wells. But when Gene realizes the discovery of oil would bring a railroad to the area and create much-needed jobs, he switches sides. Conniving local businessman George Wilkins (Weldon Heyburn) turns investors against Gene and Maxwell, however, hoping to slip in and take over the oil business.