Summary
In the arid expanse of a post-Philippine campaign America, Lieutenant Ranson, weary of Washington's static embrace, yearns for the vibrant pulse of adventure. His father, General Ranson, orchestrates a transfer to Fort Stanton, Texas, a frontier outpost promising a respite from ennui. Upon his arrival, Ranson plunges into the crucible of a prairie fire, emerging a local hero after a daring rescue of Mary Cahill, the post-trader's daughter. Yet, the fort's placid routine soon chafes at his restless spirit, prompting a reckless wager: a challenge to his brother officers that he can, with mere shears, orchestrate a stagecoach 'robbery' as a trivial act of defiance against the mundane. His audacious stunt, intended as a boastful escapade, tragically intertwines with the brutal reality of a genuine highwayman – the infamous 'Red Rider' – who later ambushes Paymaster Lieutenant Patten, absconding with a substantial payroll and leaving a trail of violence. The ensuing investigation, fueled by Patten's account of a wounded assailant, unfairly implicates Ranson, leading to his arrest and the chilling prospect of a court-martial. Confined, Ranson's suspicion is piqued by the bandaged hand of Patrick Cahill, Mary's father, whose shifting explanations unravel a darker truth. A tense confrontation forces Cahill to confess his clandestine life as the notorious 'Red Rider,' a revelation that shatters Ranson's world and places Mary's future in his keeping. In a final, desperate act of atonement and love for his daughter, Cahill attempts to flee and pen a confession, but succumbs to a self-inflicted bullet, leaving behind a hastily scrawled note of exoneration and a profound legacy of tragedy that binds Ranson and Mary in an unexpected, poignant union.
Synopsis
Filled with memories of the Philippine campaign, Lieutenant Ranson returns to the United States. After a month or two in Washington, he tells his father that he must have a change, and a chance to see some excitement. General Ranson writes and arranges to have him go to Fort Stanton, Texas, an Army post commanded by an old friend. Arrived at the railroad town nearest to the post, Ranson is conveyed to the post by stagecoach. A prairie fire is in progress a few miles away from Fort Stanton, and Ranson joins the soldiers and others in fighting it. Incidentally, he is successful in rescuing Mary Cahill, the daughter of the post-trader, Patrick Cahill. Ranson is received into the life of the fort and becomes a leader among the younger men. Ranson talks of the "big doings" out in the Philippines, and is "bored to death" with the dull routine of the fort. When one of the men calls his attention to a placard announcing a large reward for the capture of "The Red Rider," Ranson declares that it is nothing at all to hold up a stage; that anyone can do it and get away with it; that on a $50 bet, he himself, will hold up the stagecoach that night with a pair of shears. His brother officers ridicule the idea. Ranson insists that he can, and will, do it. Meantime, at the railway town, the coach has already started when Lieutenant Patten, the paymaster, arrives, carrying a bag containing $10.000 with which to pay off the soldiers. Finding the coach gone, he engages a man with a buckboard to drive him to the fort. Ranson successfully holds up the stagecoach. He is polite to the two lady passengers and takes nothing from anybody except a souvenir from one of the ladies, in the form of her photograph, this being sufficient proof to show his brother officers. He then rides back to the post. Meantime, Lieutenant Patten, hurrying along in the buckboard, is held up by a masked man dressed almost exactly as was Ranson. In a fight that ensues, the highwayman shoots and kills the driver of the buckboard, and wounds the lieutenant in the shoulder. The robber then gets possession of the bag of money and makes good his escape, but not before he has been himself shot in the hand by the paymaster. At the post, the news of the robbery arrives with the return of the detachment of men who have been sent out to escort the paymaster. They bring Lieutenant Patten with them, and he tells of the robbery and of having wounded the robber in the hand. As an outcome of the whole affair, Ranson is arrested, charged with having held up both stage and the pay-train. He is confined to his quarters, awaiting court martial, and there he sends for Mr. Cahill, with whom he wishes to speak in regard to Mary. He notices that Cabin's hand is bandaged, but Cahill tells him that his pony bit him while he was bridling her. Mary enters, and in the course of the conversation tells Ranson that her father has told her that he shot himself in the hand while fooling with his revolver. Ranson is at once suspicious, and when Mary goes out he accuses Cahill of being the real "Red Rider." Finally Cahill confesses that it is true. Ranson tells him that no matter what happened, he will stick by his daughter. He urges Cahill to hurry away to Fort Worth on the pretext of buying an engagement ring. Cahill says he will do so and that he will write a letter of confession exonerating Ranson, after he is safely in Canada. But hardly has he entered the other room when Ranson hears a shot. Rushing in, he finds Cahill lying across the table, a bullet through his brain. By his hand is a brief note of confession, which he has hastily scribbled. As Mary rushes in, Ranson draws her back but she has guessed the truth. Her father has paid for his long-concealed life of crime, and now she gives herself wholly into Ranson's keeping, knowing that her father's wish was to have them marry and be happy.
