Driven to drink by poverty brought upon by the long illness of his wife, Joe Selling, a western miner, spends most of his time at the village bar, where one day his daughter Alice enters and pleads with him to come home. She is thrust aside by the brutal bartender, who orders her to leave the place when Dan Quigley, a rather shady character, takes her part, thrusts the bartender aside, and helping Joe to his feet, leads him out of the place and home. At home Alice pleads with both men to reform, but her father is obstinate and Dan says he is "too bad."
Old Watson the prospector is the proud owner of a mine and a daughter, Ruth, but when Jack Mason, the gambler, comes to town and opens a faro game, Old Watson loses all his money and mortgages this mine to Jim Sanders, a sneak. Ruth Watson accidentally meets Jack Mason and, now knowing his business, she falls in love with him, and Jack, who has a big vein of genuine manhood in his character, loves the trusting little western girl in return. Finally, Old Watson comes home with ruin staring him in the face. He has lost his last dollar.
Jennie Lee and her father are on their way to Golden California, from a little Kansas farm, traveling in a prairie schooner. At the last settlement visited by the two, the old man, who has a weakness for drink, purchases several bottles of whiskey, which he begins drinking when they have made camp for the night. A lone cowboy calls upon them and finds the old man in a jovial mood and cautions him to beware of the hostile tribe of Indians, through whose country they are now traveling.
Hank Wilson, a good-natured cow puncher, loves a rancher's daughter, and finally musters up courage enough to make known his love. She looks upon the matter as a joke, and coquettishly furnishes him considerable annoyance.
Two young men of a western town, Will Phelps and George Arden, are in love with the same girl, the belle of the village. Having been pals from boyhood they decide to let the girl choose between them and to abide by her decision without argument or malice. Jessie chooses Phelps, and Arden, although deeply hurt by her decision, presses the hands of both and wishes them happiness. Several years elapse during which time Jessie and Will are married and the latter has become sheriff of the county. It is then that Arden returns and the two men are apparently happy in being together again.
Mary is only the assistant housekeeper of the ranch, but she has a heart as big and faithful as a queen's. Bob, who has been turned from home by his uncle because he has his own notions of marriage, comes to the ranch and Mary falls in love with him. Bill Rank, the foreman, contrives to ruin Bob's good name and make him "do time." Mary is faithful to Bob and makes a big sacrifice to help him in his trouble. Times are dark for a while, but Fate works things out at last. Bill Rank is hurt in a runaway, and, looking death to the face, he confesses the truth. Bob's good name is restored, he marries Mary, and, to cap the climax, he falls heir to a fortune.
Bill Sanders, sheriff of Alkali County, gets a warrant for Red Rube, the tough. He gives it to his deputies to serve, but Rube gets busy with the strong arm and makes them look like monkeys. When several installments of deputies have failed, Bill Sanders gets on the job himself. Bill not only knows how to juggle the 44 Colts, but he keeps gray matter in his skull. In going after Red Rube, he decides to rely on his brains instead of his hardware. He disguises himself as a tenderfoot, arms himself with a camera, and gets on Rube's trail. Things are warm and lively thereafter, but Sanders gets his man, and the honor of Alkali County is preserved.
Bill is discharged from Bar K Ranch and in his desperation decide to turn train robber. On his way to town he rescues Myrtle Mulligan, who has been driven from protection to the high branches of a tree by a vicious bull. Arriving in town Bill applies to the superintendent of the railroad and secures a job as track walker. Pinto Joe, a friendly Indian, learns of Bill's train wrecking plans, and tells Myrtle about it. Hearing Bill intends to dynamite the bridge the plucky girl decides to take a hand in the game. Arriving on the scene just after Bill has lighted the fuse she fearlessly picks up the cartridge and throws it where it can do little damage. Rushing up the bank to the track she flags the oncoming train. When the passengers and trainmen cluster about her to learn the cause of the explosion she tells them that Bill saved their lives by finding the burning fuse just in time to prevent the blowing up of the bridge.
The punchers of the XL outfit are wild with joy, 'cause Mary, the idol of the ranch, is comin' home from college. Billy James is Mary's special friend, and goes to bring her from the station, but, suffering snakes! Look what's traveling with her, his nobs, "Sir Percy Granville," who owns the nearby ranch. This gets Bill's goat for a time, but Mary rides and "ropes" with the punchers, and soon shows them she is the same genuine, good-hearted Mary, and doesn't care a whoop for Sir Percy. Sir Percy insists on sticking around, however, and shows his true nature by striking Mary's younger brother, Bobby, when he defends his sister from insult.
Will Talbot, a miner, is severely injured in an explosion of dynamite on his claim and his life is saved through the aid of his faithful Indian servant. The Indian carries him to their shack and rides to town for the doctor. When the latter arrives he finds that Talbot has not only suffered severe face burns, but seems to have also lost all knowledge of his identity, a species of insanity occasionally the result of a violent shock.
"I do hate learnin', but oh! you schoolmarm!" is what the boys at the gulch said when Mary came to town; and, from "Big Bill" down to Hop Lee, the Chink, they all took to study, and to courtship. The rivalry is friendly until the new foreman blows in and takes the inside track, then "Big Bill" gets jealous. At the swell (?) reception the foreman cuts Bill out and Bill decides to "lay for him." The foreman soon discharged a greaser who later robs the paymaster and contrives to fix the blame on the foreman.
Jack Manning is a young man, one year out of college. His father, recently died, leaving him a fortune. And as the father was a retired banker, Jack has nothing to keep him in New York, with the exception of Elsie Dean, a rich banker's daughter. Jack is desperately in love with Elsie.
Young Jack Farson, the foreman on the "Bar O" ranch, is in love with Alice Walton, daughter of his employer. Alice rejects the young cowpuncher, but asks in a kindly way that they continue as good friends and nothing else. One day, while out on a canter, the spirited horse stubbornly refuses to ford a stream, and becoming angry endeavors to throw his fair rider.
Margie, of the "Flying B" ranch, knew it was to run across a snake in the tall Texas grass, but she did not realize that there are people who, like snakes, conceal themselves until they are ready to sting. Consequently, when a sleek looking tenderfoot asked to become a boarder at the "Flying B" Margie favored him, though her father was suspicious. Margie is soon smitten with the stranger, much to the chagrin of Jack, the foreman, with whom Margie had previously been very friendly. Jack does not get ugly over the matter, but keeps his eyes open.
Old Jim Brown, a western ranchman, has a pretty daughter Gladys, who is loved by young Frank Carpenter, then foreman of the ranch. Brown objects to the match because he has an opportunity to marry Gladys off to a rich mine owner, seeing in this alliance the opportunity for social advancement for the girl and himself.
Dan Warrington, an outlaw, is captured by the sheriff, after the former had held up a stagecoach, and is sent to jail. After the sheriff has placed his captive under guard he goes home and is welcomed by his little daughter, a child of five. Not long after the sheriff is notified of the escape of Warrington
After reading a newspaper article regarding old Tightwad's rise in the world, Bill and Jim hit upon a plan to get some of Tightwad's easy money by holding young Tightwad for ransom. They accordingly hire a rig, take the boy and conceal him in a cave. The boy, instead of weeping and wailing for home and mother, proclaims himself "Red Chief" and makes it uncomfortable for his captors. (Moving Picture World)
Billy and His Pal, released on February 16, 1911, is about a cowboy, Jim (Francis Ford), who is idolised by young Billy (actress Edith Storey in drag). When Jim runs afoul of a gang of Mexican thieves, it’s up to Billy to rescue his hero. Billy and His Pal is short on plot but long on local atmosphere with the director (probably William Haddock) and cameraman William “Daddy” Paley making the most of the starkly beautiful Texas countryside.