Bullet Code (1940)

This George O’Brien B-Western was directed by David Howard and written by Doris Schroeder from a story by Bennet Cohen. O’Brien plays Steve Holden a rancher who believes that he’s shot one of his crew – Bud Mathews (Robert Stanton) – during a nighttime raid on the herd. As it turns out Bud was helping the rustlers led by Cass Barton (Harry Woods) until he learned that they were planning to kill Steve and all his men in their sleep. So it’s Barton that kills Bud in the failed raid an act witnessed by his henchman Scar Atwood (William Haade).

Feeling guilty Steve decides to travel to Bud’s hometown to set things right with the Mathews family. But as soon as he gets into town Steve and his sidekick Pop Norton (Slim Whitaker) learn that Bud’s father John (Howard Hickman) and sister Molly (Virginia Vale) are struggling to keep their ranch. Apparently the Mathews can’t keep any ranch-hands because they’re being run off by Sam Gorman (Walter Miller) and his henchmen. However after hiring Steve and Pop Mathews appears to be able to keep his ranch and not have to sell it to Gorman whom he considers a friend because he’s ignorant of Gorman’s schemes. So when Barton and Atwood come to town Gorman hires them to kill Steve and Pop so that he can obtain the Mathews ranch which gives him a way to bypass the border agents and access Mexico.