Returning from service in the A. E. F., Dale Garland is given a rousing reception by his townsmen. County political boss Nebo Slayter persuades the community to nominate Dale for sheriff--thinking he can be easily manipulated--against John Millard, the incumbent, who refuses political compromises. Dale easily wins and pledges to give the citizens an honest deal. Millard's daughter, Alice, who is Dale's childhood sweetheart, learns of Slayter's dishonest schemes and sees his men murder a moonshiner for whom they had been furnishing protection.
Cowhand John Marvin, in a cattlemen-vs-sheep-men range war, comes to the aid of a pretty and defenseless young sheepherder, Kate Bowers. This angers the other cattlemen, especially Palque Powell, who employs deceptive methods against Kate, while pretending to help her.
With the help of Red Barton (Wade Boteler), Phil (Jack Holt) makes a spectacular escape from jail. He obtains a parson's outfit from a pawnshop and shortly thereafter winds up in a barroom brawl. One of the other brawlers is Chuckwalla Bill (J.P. Lockney), the newly elected mayor of the town of Panamint.
A ranch foreman helps his fiancé--the ranch's owner--who is having problems with a gang of cattle rustlers. Her girlfriend from back East is visiting her and has fallen for a cowboy who is secretly a member of the rustlers. He tells this to the gang's leader, who plans to use the owner's friend in a scheme to gain control of the ranch.
A United States marshal in the Southwest learns of a Mrs. Osborne, whose son and husband have been killed by raiders and whose daughter, June, has been taken captive. He orders Jack Laramie, his best man, to investigate the affair and arrest the guilty parties at any cost. Jack arrives at the local cafe and learns the identity of the outlaw gang and June's whereabouts. Meanwhile, Jack has rescued a child whose parents have been killed while crossing the prairie to stake out a homestead.
Delmar Spavinaw, an educated "half-breed," loves Evelyn Huntington, daughter of a racist judge. Evelyn's other suitor is Ross Kennion, a widower with one child, and owner of a vast tract of land which Spavinaw insists belongs to his Indian mother. Spavinaw seeks revenge when Judge Huntington decides to evict the squaw. Assisted by Juan Del Rey, a cattle rustler, Spavinaw steals the title to the land, wounds Kennion, stages a raid on the judge's cattle, and attempts to kidnap Kennion's son and Evelyn. The arrival of the sheriff forces him into flight across the border without his hostages. En route he meets Doll Pardeau, a school friend of Evelyn's, and together they ride for the Mexican border. Caught between a cattle stampede and a sheriff's posse, the couple catch a passing freight train, leaving calamity behind as the train slowly passes.
Brother of Lorraine Leighton is falsely accused of rustling and murder and shipped off to jail. Desperate, Lorraine enlists the help of rancher Vic Collins and the two track down the real culprit, evil Pidge Walters.
Jeremy Dice, a finisher in a New York East Side tailor shop who prides himself on being a smart dresser and dancer, proves to be cowardly when he retreats from a bully who gets fresh with his girl, and his employer discharges him. Deciding to go out west, Jeremy is caught hitching the rails and comes upon two outlaws in the desert disputing over booty; they are both killed in a shoot-out, and Jeremy is proclaimed a hero by the sheriff.....
Son of Colonel Haddington, Bob leads a posse against raiders in a settlement. During his absence, one of the prize horses is stolen and his father is killed. Bob swears revenge and becomes known as Velantrie, leader of a band of semi-outlaws, and befriends a priest, Father Hillaire. At a mission, he meets Val, daughter of John Hannon, a wealthy ranch-owner.
Andy Lanning, a peace-loving blacksmith, rescues Ann, the fiancée of Charles Merchant, from a runaway team. When the town bully picks a fight with Andy, he knocks him unconscious, and (thinking he has killed him) Andy rides into the hills. Merchant, jealous of Ann's admiration for Andy, bribes the sheriff to kill Andy, who has joined a band of outlaws in the wastelands. Forced to defend himself, Andy kills the sheriff, but later he saves the new sheriff's life and forces him to hear his story when he is placed in jeopardy by the outlaw band. Meanwhile, Ann, who has broken her engagement to Merchant, engages a lawyer to clear Andy, and he returns to find her awaiting him.
"Hadley, owner of a nearby ranch, had fenced off a water hole belonging to Miss Dunlap, thus depriving her stock of water. Undaunted, the young Eastern woman and her two-fisted fighting foreman fought back...
Having banned the carrying of firearms in his jurisdiction, Larry Reid, the sheriff of Silvertown (Roy Stewart), pursues a trespasser of the strict law to the home of schoolmarm Mary Gray (Marjorie Daw). Noticing her evasive answers, Larry suspects the teacher of harboring the refugee. He finally captures the young man in question, Neil (Johnny Walker), who proves to be Mary's weakling brother.