As Sheriff Seth (Samuel S. Hinds) is about to arrest gang leader Squint (Joe Sawyer) for murder, he is wounded by one of Squint's many henchmen. He asks his deputy, Fuzzy (Fuzzy Knight), to send for his son Butch (Walter Sande), who he has not seen since childhood. But Butch has sent Seth a picture of his pal radio-singing star Bob Richards (Bob Crosby) in a cowboy outfit, as himself. When Butch becomes ill, he asks Bob to pose as him. Seth makes Bob a Deputy Sheriff of Elbow Bend, and Bob agrees as he has fallen for Butch's sister Caroline (Fay McKenzie). Oops. Lawyer Vance (Edward Norris) is courting Caroline and this irritates Bob, who is not her brother but she thinks he is. More oops. Bob gives Squint and his gang twenty-four hours to get out of Elbow Bend. Squint makes an attempt on Bob's life and he decides he himself better get out of town before he gets killed. Squint and his hirelings are robbing the bus station when Bob arrives and he accidentally foils the robbery, and Fuzzy and a posse round up the robbers. Before leaving the ranch Bob left a note stating that he wasn't Seth's son but Caroline reads the note before Bob can return and destroy it, having decided to stay and stop the lawlessness. Bob discovers that lawyer Vance is the real leader of the gang. Fuzzy finds the evidence and Vance tries to escape but runs into Butch and is captured. Butch, having recovered from his illness has returned to Elbow Bent to reunite himself with his father, and Bob and Caroline decide to get together.