The Red-Rock stage has been held up twice by a lone bandit and. as the sheriff and his posse have been unable to catch him, the president of the Phoenix Bank offers a reward of $5,000 for his capture, dead or alive. He also sends to the Pinkerton detective headquarters for a man to help capture the bandit. The man arrives and gets his first clue from the hank president, who suspects the sheriff of Red-Rock. The detective follows up the clue and in an effort to get the desired information, he falls in love with the sheriff's daughter. The manager of the Big Strike Mine is also in love with the sheriff's daughter, but she prefers the detective, whom she believes to be a prospector. As the detective is a stranger in that locality, the sheriff suspects him of being the robber and plans to capture him red-handed. The bank president has arranged with the detective to take the next shipment of gold to Red-Rock by wagon instead of by stage; he also informs the sheriff of the special shipment. Through the medium of his daughter, the erstwhile prospector is informed of this fact, and immediately leaves town, which causes the sheriff to feel sure of his man. The trap is laid by the sheriff to capture or kill the "prospector," likewise the trap is laid by the detective to get the sheriff. The shipment is sent, the sheriff and his deputies lay in waiting for the bandit, who attempts to bold up the wagon, but is shot, and, when his mask is removed, all concerned are surprised to find that the "lone bandit" is none other than the manager of the Big Strike Mine, whom no one suspected. The detective receives the good wishes of the sheriff and the hand of his daughter.
