A description of the surviving scenes: Two girls are dancing in the inn, one wearing a white dress, the other in black - a bandit arrives - the bandit has an argument with another guest about one of the girls - the fight continues on the rocks - the bandit throws his rival off the cliff - the girl in black mourns the dead man - a cowboy appears on a horse - the girl in black laments the crime to him - the cowboy catches up with the bandit, he disarms him and ties him to a tree - the old man who is to watch over the captive gets drunk and falls asleep - the girl in white, armed with a revolver, frees the bandit, her lover, and they both tie the watchman to the tree instead - the cowboy returns and again fights with the bandit - the girl in white is accidently shot during the ensuing duel - the cowboy leads the handcuffed bandit away.
The sheriff, Dan Beckham, and his deputy, Bud Cameron, are posting signs offering a reward for the capture of Cheyenne Harry, accused of holding up a Wells Fargo shipment. Shortly after they have tacked the sign to a tree Cheyenne Harry removes it.
Allen Jennings, whose father was murdered and his gold mine claim jumped, has been seeking the murderers for years. One day, a mine owner and rancher named John Sanderson hires Allen to evict neighboring ranchers Grace and Tom Henden, children of Jim Henden. Unknown to Jennings, Henden and Sanderson, whose real name is John Jasper, were once partners, and it was they who jumped Allen's father's claim.
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.
Mysterious cowboy Bill Patton (as Bob Norton) arrives, "in the land of the West - on the banks of the Rio Grande," at the "Bar-V" ranch. Ostensibly seeking employment, Mr. Patton is revealed, as the plot unravels, an undercover Texas Ranger. Patton wants to get a job at the "Bar-V", and round-up evidence against newly appointed foreman, and all-around snake-in-the-grass, Jack House (as "Buck" Bailey).
Charles Clemens, a ranch owner, sends a letter to Fred Church, his foreman, informing him that his son and daughter are coming to spend their vacation on the ranch. Church and the boys meet the stage, and to their amazement and secret joy, find that the boy is very effeminate. What the boys do to Clarence is a scream, hut his sister, who is more of a boy than he is, gets even with them for hazing her brother, and the boys are forced to take off their hats to her.
Alice Marson, an eastern young lady, becomes engaged to Glen Arnold, a young man just out of college. Girl-like, she rushes to her friend, Lucy Starr, and tells of the engagement. Lucy, who also had designs on Glen, congratulates Alice, but determines to break up the match.
Madge Black witnesses her best friend Nan Westland, kissing her husband, successful lawyer Jeffrey Arnold Black, a successful lawyer, and orders Nan from the house. Angered by her refusal to let him explain, Jeffrey leaves his wife and son David, Jeffrey meets Nan on a westbound train. Though he does not love her he offers his protection and the next year they welcome a son, William. Nan pleads with him to divorce Madge and marry her for the sake of their son, but he will refuse. Distraught, she marries Ben Richardson, a client of Jeffrey's client, leaving their son behind. Twenty years pass with David becoming a responsible adult while half-brother William now known as “Rodeo” becomes the leader of a lawless band of robbers. Meanwhile Ben Richardson and Nan have become owners of Chanceland, a gambling-house in Colorado and it is there that things reach a climax between the near identical brothers.
Wyoming, 1890. A drunken cowboy finds himself tied to a tree in the middle of nowhere with no recollection of how he got there. His kidnapper, another cowboy, tries to get him to remember the events that lead up to it as the two tell stories contradict each other. Only one is telling the truth.