Jerry Kane, a man down on his luck who inherits money but selflessly gives most of it to Maizie Wallace and her sick father. The money is then stolen by two crooks, Pinny Falk and Big Dan Jaffry, leading to a series of events involving a pursuit, mistaken identity, a fight, and a rescue by a posse. Ultimately, the crooks are captured, the money is recovered, and Jerry and Maizie agree to share their future together.
Elsie's idea of a real man was a dummy dressed like a cowboy, reckless and wild and woolly. Wallace Carey, a gallant city businessman, rich, attractive, and well dressed, was in love with her, but she wanted a real cowboy for a husband.
Around the film hang fascinating questions about border politics, which I’ll touch on in an introduction before the screening. One of Eugene Buck’s motivations for making the film may have been his rough cross-examination during his kidnappers’ first trials, in October 1913, when defense attorneys cast him as a confused and unreliable witness against idealistic freedom fighters. On film he could reproduce the pursuit, the shootouts, his kidnapping, and his friend’s murder just as he had testified. Reenacting the crime on film may have been the best revenge—and a way to honor the sacrifice of Deputy Ortiz, a twenty-year police veteran and, for the era, a rare Mexican American lawman.
Broncho Billy shoots an outlaw for making a disrespectful remark about his sweetheart. After the shooting he hastens to her home and tells her he has shot a man, but does not know who he is. Shortly after the remainder of the gang of outlaws arrive and, to learn the direction Broncho went, tell her it was her father who was shot.
The hotel proprietor is a grouchy piece of humanity, and when his daughter receives attentions from young men he becomes very irate. To cap the climax, his daughter falls in love and becomes engaged to a fine-looking young chap. When the father discovers this, he rushes out and shoots his daughter's sweetheart.
The doctor, who owns the only store in town, is called away, and leaves his daughter in charge. A bandit has been menacing the vicinity and a reward is offered for his capture. There is quite a sum of money in the store, and when Broncho Billy, a stranger, knocks at the door, the girl thinks he must be the outlaw and forces him into a room at the point of a gun
Moran, blind to ambition, has been a long-time friend of the widow Casey. In his own way Moran likes the widow, but his strongest affection is for her young son. The boy, in turn, loves the man's friendship and the knife the man has given him. The time comes when the widow and Moran fight.
A good-natured but chivalrous cowboy romances the local schoolmarm and leads the posse that brings a gang of rustlers, which includes his best friend, to justice.
Broncho, the vagabond, is thrown out of the gambler's place because he has no money. He is light-hearted, nevertheless, and while strolling through the woods, runs upon a little girl trying to chop some wood. His heart is touched and he helps her. She leads him to the shack she calls home and Broncho is filled with pity when he sees her father sick
Miner Jim Mann is indifferent to the new baby and sees him as nothing more than an additional burden. His wife Lucy looks after the baby and is unable to help much with the work, and Jim's dinner is often late. He grows to dislike the child and refuses to hold or pet him. Dawson, another miner, and his wife and their small baby occupy the cabin on the adjacent claim.
Broncho Billy is jilted by the girl he loves and goes up into the mountains with his friend to prospect for gold. His friend is very ill and asks for her constantly. In the meantime, Broncho has saved an Indian maiden from being sold to a chief whom she dislikes. She is very grateful and later falls in love with her rescuer. One day, as she is about to give him a Navajo blanket, his sweetheart appears, and the maiden realizes her love tor Broncho is hopeless. She is about to stab herself when spied by the disliked chief, who prevents her from doing so.
When he's fired from his bank job aimless Claude Bennett decides to head West. Once he gets a job as a cowboy on the Flying "U" ranch he restyles himself as Chip and discovers who he really is through a series of adventures.
Miner Holton lives and works with his daughter Leota near Stormy Creek. Leota loves Dick Raleigh, though her father objects. When prospector Tom Andrews is injured near their home Leota and Dad nurse him back to health and give him work in their little mine. In repayment he intends to steal from them taking advantage when Holton is hurt while Leota is away but Dick thwarts him and he and Leota are united with her father’s blessing.
Billy Silver, a young trapper, lives with his wife and little baby up in the region of the snows. Billy is energetic and finds trapping profitable. One morning while he is out examining his traps, the cabin catches fire. In the distance he hears the cries of his wife for help, and hastening to the scene as rapidly as he can
Broncho Billy, an outlaw, is captured but eludes his captors, and while making his getaway, runs upon the county judge's daughter, who is helplessly trying to stop her runaway horse. He makes a thrilling rescue while going at top speed on horseback, but is captured by the posse and taken back to town.
Curley Smith, a lieutenant of the Texas Rangers, gets chased by a band of smugglers after getting caught spying on them and becomes injured. Anita, the daughter of the chief smuggler tends to him and the two of them fall in love. Dean, a member of the renegade, becomes jealous of their romance, and will do whatever he can to get rid of Curley - fair or foul.