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Luke "Whispering" Smith (Ladd) is a two-gun railway detective who is sent to investigate why an unusual number of train wrecks are happening.  As he rides towards town he is ambushed by the Barton Brothers and loses his horse.  Smith flags down a train and climbs aboard where he finds his old friend Murray Sinclair (Robert Preston) who also works for the railroad.

Meanwhile at the next telegraph stop, the Bartons murder the agent and bust up the telegraph.  Just then the train arrives and Smith guns Leroy and Gabby Barton (Robert Wood, Bob Kortman) while Blake Barton (Murvyn Vye) escapes.  Smith catches up with him later when Barton again tries to ambush him, this time in town under the watchful eyes of Rebstock and his gunsel Whitey DuSang (Frank Faylen).

Sinclair takes Smith to his ranch where he meets Sinclair's wife Marion (Brenda Marshall) with whom he had been involved some years earlier.  Smith learns that his friend is tied in with local big rancher Rebstock (Donald Crisp) and begins to suspect Sinclair's involvement in the train wrecks.

Railway boss McCloud (John Eldredge) fires Sinclair for stealing freight from the latest wreckage and Sinclair then becomes an active member of Rebstock's gang.  This leads to several confrontations between between the two old friends.  Finally, Smith rounds up a posse and stages a final showdown with the gang and...

Ladd is a little hard to believe as a tough two-gun railroad cop, largely because of his short stature and slight build, although he did much better in "Shane" (1953).  Preston on the other hand, steals the film as the tragic Sinclair.  Crisp has little to do as the chief bad guy but nevertheless adds his usual class to the role.  Marshall does her best as the girl torn between her past and present.  Faylen is chilling as the gunfighter Whitey.

This film has the advantage of beautiful technicolor photography and the fast moving action directed by Leslie Fenton.  The digital DVD remastered film has been restored to its original beauty and brilliance.  Check out the differences between the feature (digitally remastered) and the trailer which is not.

Also an advantage is the cast of familiar faces in the supporting cast.  In addition to those already mentioned, William Demarest and Fay Holden play Bill and Emmy Dansing, Smith's pals, Will Wright as the lazy sheriff, J.  Farrell MacDonald as Bill Daggs, a railway official, Eddy Waller as a conductor and Ray Teal as Sinclair's foreman.  Bob Kortman who plays one of the Bartons, had a career that dated back to 1915 where he appeared in several William S.  Hart westerns.  He was a familiar face in many "B" westerns and serials throughout the 30s and 40s.