Ma Conway, owner of a cattle ranch and publisher of the Laramie Bulletin, wages an up-hill battle to have Wyoming join the Union. She refuses to be intimidated by corrupt politician Lee Landow and crooked banker Jesse Dixon, teamed up to fight her. Led by cowhand Eddie Reed and foreman Uncle Ezra, the Conway cattle drive is blocked at La Platte Pass by the Dixon henchmen, led by Ringo. A fight ensues and Eddie is saved by the quick trigger hand of the Cheyenne Kid, a notorious outlaw. Vicky, whom Ma has raised as her daughter, admires Cheyenne's courage to the chagrin of Eddie, who is in love with her. Cheyenne, on his way to a job in Laramie, turns down Ma's offer but when he gets to Laramie he finds he has been hired by Landow and Dixon to ruin Ma's cattle business and, in order to carry out the plan, he accepts Ma's ranch-job offer. Accidents quickly begin and Eddie suspects Cheyenne but Ma refuses to listen to his warnings, as she has become fond of the young outlaw. Eddie subsequently learns that Cheyenne is really Ma's long-lost son, missing from 25 years past in an attack by renegade white men, but Ma does not know this. Cheyenne begins to regret his deeds and turns against the gang leaders.