Broncho Billy runs into trouble in a bar when he gets into a confrontation with a bully. Since the bully has a gun and Billy doesn't, he's forced to endure the bully's humiliating tactics until he manages to get away. He determines to find himself a gun, learn how to use it and then go back and find the bully for a little payback.
The sheriff of Sioux County, Arizona, is notified to locate the bandits' rendezvous. Carl Waters, the sheriff, scouts the country and finally locates them. Returning to the town saloon and dance hall Waters, who is smitten with the fair Caroline Heston, proposes to her. She promises to give her answer the following day.
In The Struggle (Broncho, 1913) a prospector and his son Bob depart from home in the morning, while the wife, at home, offers food to a passing stranger. His shifting eyes reveal his nature; he assaults her, and although her husband and son return in time to save her, the father is killed in the ensuing fight. The stranger gets away, but five years later Bob, now a government scout, recognizes the stranger just as he is accused of cheating at cards.
Broncho Billy's brother, Dick, is madly in love with Nellie Parsons. Jack Dupont, a mining engineer from the east sees pretty Miss Parsons and becomes infatuated with her. Not waiting for an introduction, Dupont follows and introduces himself. A few days later, Dupont proposes and is accepted. Nellie returns the engagement ring to Dick.
This western, with its simple story set in a gold mining camp, recycles many of the elements found in David Belasco's influential play, THE GIRL OF THE GOLDEN WEST, produced a decade earlier.
Jim Clay, a rough western ranchman, kisses his daughter goodbye, and departs for the town saloon. Entering, he sees four of his comrades finishing a game of cards. Broncho Billy, one of them, wins all the money. Clay exits and seats himself on a barrel in front of the place. Broncho, with his winnings, departs from the saloon, meets Clay and together they proceed to the ranchman's home.
John Allen is in love with pretty Mabel Trude and the honor conferred upon Allen by the community, electing him sheriff, aids Allen in pressing his suit. The engagement is announced. Tom Trude, the brother of Mabel, is a sort of shiftless fellow and is exceedingly unlucky at cards. It required but little argument on the part of the acknowledged best man of the community to win Tom over to his gang, as he hopes to make good his losses at cards in some manner other than actual labor. The post office is held up and the sheriff called upon to bring the perpetrators to justice. A lively encounter is followed by the escape and pursuit of one of the men. The sheriff himself takes up the chase and successfully runs down the man. To his consternation, it proves to be Mabel's brother. He passes their home with the prisoner in tow. Mabel argues and pleads, but to no avail, and she finally plays her largest card--her love, against her brother's liberty
A woman is injured escaping her abusive husband and wanders the forest in a daze but loses her baby. Indians find her baby and rear the child as their own. Years later the mother is now married to an army colonel and living in a fort. A conflict with local the tribe breaks out and the woman discovers that their chief is her lost child.
On August 20, 1913, TR, numerous visitors, and Hopi Indians observe the performance of the ritual Hopi snake-dance at Walpi, Arizona, on the Hopi Reservation.
After holding up a stage-coach, Broncho Billy disappears into the woods on horseback. The driver of the coach unhitches one of the horses and rides to the nearest town, notifies the sheriff, who goes in pursuit with the posse.
With a fondness for gambling, Jim Saunders is given to neglecting his wife and child. One night during his absence at the saloon, Miguel Gomez, a Mexican outlaw, for whom $1,000 reward is offered, enters Jim's home and demands food of Mrs. Saunders.
A pretty western girl rejected a cowpuncher admirer for Bronche Billy. Snake, the rejected suitor, swears revenge and immediately proceeds to the village barroom to load up with ammunition, both for the gun and the stomach.
Stern parents have ever been relentless obstacles in love's young dream, but it is perhaps quite doubtful if ever love could equal the accentuated bliss and anguish of these two. She refused to eat for her hero and for her he bore the marks of battle, an eye made black by a cruel parent's fist. Tired of such an unsympathetic world, they sought the wilderness, where, had it not been for Indian Charlie, these two "babes in the wood" would have ended their dream in a manner quite too disagreeable to think of.
On his way to file a claim, a lone prospector stops overnight with a settler and his family. The miner little suspects that his host plots to steal the gold. But the settler’s daughter overhears the plan and warns the visitor just in time. The couple escapes with the woman’s younger sister. In store-bought finery suggesting new wealth, they return to the scene of the attempted crime and make peace with the settler. “We’ll work the mine together,” promises the prospector.