Seth Perkins, a prospector, has two daughters. Mabel and Vedah. Vedah is a cripple, and the town doctor writes her father it will be necessary to operate to cure her and the expense will be one hundred dollars. Perkins has no such sum and is in despair.
Bart Darrow, a young cowboy, is engaged to pretty Betty King and has put the engagement ring on her finger. Betty promises to always be true and Bart departs joyfully. In the town saloon he sets up the drinks in honor of the occasion.
Jim Morris, a young prospector, plans a trip into the great desert to search for gold. Before he leaves, Morris places an engagement ring on the finger of Mary, his sweetheart, and she promises to await his return.
An aged miner finds a rich gold claim, stakes it out, fills a sack with samples of the gold ore and starts back across the desert to file his claim. His water gives out, and, after days of torture, he at last falls in a clump of sagebrush. In a nearby cabin Jim Durkin and Black, his partner, are about to sit down to supper when faint cries are heard.
Alkali is considered the ranch seamstress by the boys on Hard-Up, and consequently has to sew buttons on coats and do other sewing stunts that finally wear on his nerves and decide him on the matrimony thing. One day Alkali gets the town paper and sees a "Husband Wanted" ad. A widow with a small boy and loads of money, wants to hitch up with some nice western gentleman. This is pie tor Alkali, He instantly dispatches a letter to the widow to come to Snakeville, get off at his ranch and not to "fergit her dust."
Jake Willis, a timber-cutter, is felling trees with a gang of men one morning when an Indian applies for work and food, Willis hires him and tells him to do a day's work first, then eat. Stolidly the Indian agrees and leaves with an ax for the forest. Now, little Flo Willis, Jake's little girl, pities the poor man and, when her father leaves, butters a piece of bread, spreads it with jelly and takes it out to the Indian, who, although surprised, thanks her as best he can and sits down to eat.
Pasquale, half Mexican, secures work on the ranch of old Fowler. Fowler has a pretty daughter, Vedah, who teaches the district school. Pasquale meets the girl on several occasions and falls in love with her. She repulses his attentions and tries to show him his error in loving her, but Pasquale is determined and, one day, rides to the schoolhouse after the children are dismissed. Finding Vedah alone he again renews his attentions and is on the point of taking her in his arms when she holds aloft a crucifix and, terror-stricken, Pasquale hurriedly leaves.
Maizie Mackey finished with her term at boarding school in Los Angeles, leaves her sweetheart, Bud Stone, and returns to her father's ranch near Ash Forks, Cal. A few weeks later, Bud, lonesome and downhearted, wires Maizie's father that he is coming on to ask a very important question.
Brig Harris, a renegade Mexican, casts off his sweetheart, telling her he is tired of her. Harris and a pal now find that a shipment of ore from the Catspaw mine is to be left overnight at the house of Barnes, the town agent. A plot to rob Barnes is instantly laid. Barnes is also a doctor, and Harris lures him to his shack by shamming sickness.
Bill Simpson, a sturdy young Westerner, is made a deputy and his star is forwarded to him. Simpson is in love with pretty Olive Farnum, a daughter of the plains, and they are practically engaged. Dolores, a Mexican girl, also loves Simpson and plans to break his engagement to Olive. She enlists the aid of Pedro, a Mexican lover
The sheriff lives with his sister, and is engaged in running down an unknown bandit who has been quite active in the district. It develops that Jim Brown, a poor miner, who has lost his wife and is in straitened circumstances, has become embittered at the world and is the bandit, living alone with his little boy, Tom.
Tom Fleming, a Western bandit, and his pal, Morgan, hold up the stage. Fleming dispatches Morgan to town to inform him when the stage leaves. Fleming now receives a letter from his wife back east, in which she tells him she and their little girl pray every night that he will always remain an honest, faithful husband and father.
Old Perkins, a ranchman, has a bevy of pretty daughters, ranging in age from five years up to twenty. Perkins will not permit any love making between the girls and the cowboys, the most ardent of whom is "Alkali" Ike. "Alkali" likes Jennie, and the other boys each have their individual sweetheart.
Pretty Nan Morgan is admired by all the boys in Lariat and likes them, every one, but her heart belongs to Broncho Billy, who proudly announces to the boys one day that he wants to introduce them "to the future Mrs. Broncho." Matters glide along smoothly until about the time Broncho is thinking of putting the ring on Nan's finger.
Alkali Ike is in love with the daughter of Ranchman Brown, who is very much opposed to the match. Alkali, to prove that he is brave solicits the help of two of his cronies, who are to disguise as hold-up men and waylay Ranchman Brown. The hold-up occurs, but when Alkali pulls the masks off the highwaymen he finds they are not his friends, but two of the most desperate bad men of the country.
Tom Harper, a young sheepman, lately arrived in the country with his mother, is warned by an unsigned note that "this is a cattleman's country, and not good for a sheepman's health." Tom goes to the sheriff, armed with the note, and a revolver, and tells this officer that he is not looking for trouble, but they had better let him alone.
Edna Graham is advised in a letter from her father, given her after the old ranchman's death, not to attempt to run the big "Double K," hut to secure a competent manager. Later, Edna is caused to regret not having followed her father's advice, as the men in her employ are surly and rude, and endeavor in every manner to make life miserable for her.
Jim Riley is to be arrested for horse stealing and when the sheriff knocks at the door of Jim's shack, he asks his little girl Nellie to go and tell the man he is not at home. Nellie tries to persuade the big sheriff that her father is out, but to no avail, for Jim is arrested and taken away, while he promises his little girl he will soon return.
Tom Gray and Jack King are prospecting together in the west. One day they receive a letter from Dorris Dean, a girl whom they both love, asking one of them to come to her assistance, as she is in trouble. They toss a coin to see who shall go, and Jack wins, but later, knowing that Tom will never recover from the blow, he leaves a note telling the other that he will give up all claims to the girl and that Tom should go back. Tom sees Jack leaving the house and thinks he is going back east. In his intense jealousy he shoots Jack from behind, but wounds him slightly.