Jane Carston was to return tomorrow from Ohio, where she had been for the past three years in school, and the ranch was all agog with expectancy and cleanliness. Bob Evans, head cowboy, was most eager and most anxious of the lot. Tomorrow finally became today and Pa had gone to the station in his best linen duster and the buckboard to meet Jane. Finally, in a cloud of dust. Bob discerns them on the brow of the hill. Arriving at the house Jane greets mother with a rousing smack.
The advent of Mabel Jones on her uncle's ranch in Stony Gulch creates great havoc among the boys. Three of them, Bob, Frank and Jack are so smitten with her charms as to forget their own sweethearts who rise up in arms and are glad indeed when Mabel's visit is over.
Although Nell Barclay is very young, she has succeeded in falling in love with Ralph Tracy, a big, manly ranch owner and friend of her father. Louis Potosi, a neighbor, is also in love with Nell. The two suitors attend the round-up held on the Barclay ranch and pay court to the pretty girl while watching the roping and branding of the cattle.
The period is 1876; trains of settlers are moving westward. It is the time of pioneers and prairie schooners. Dan is leading one wagon train and his party fall in with another led by a stalwart Indian, Mahomena. They proceed together. Amongst the latter party is a young girl, Eunice, and she and Dan are immediately attracted to each other
Broncho Billy is in love with the rancher's daughter. Her father disapproves of their affair and one day quarrels with Broncho. A few days later the rancher drops dead while at work. Broncho Billy's rival discovers the body and seeing an opportunity to implicate Broncho, shoots the rancher's body. Broncho Billy is accused of the murder
Broncho Billy becomes engaged. A month later the engagement is broken when the girl's father comes into a fortune. She moves to the city with her parents, where she lives surrounded by luxury.
In a fight Marguerite's father kills a man and Broncho Billy, the sheriff, goes in search of the slayer. Marguerite successfully hides her father. Broncho Billy, however, waits on the outside. Marguerite, in order to get the sheriff away from the door and allow her father to make his escape, leads Broncho Billy to believe that she has hidden her father in a woodshed. Broncho Billy with drawn revolver rushes into the outer building and Marguerite hastily throws on the lock, making him a prisoner.
Broncho Billy, through a notice posted on a tree, learns he can go free if he will give himself up. He keeps the notice, and, as he rides away, comes upon a little girl, who wandered from her mother, when an accident happened to the stage coach in which the two were riding. The mother, frantic, starts in search of her child, and meanwhile the coach drives on.
Broncho Billy, while in a dance hall, goes to the assistance of the girl who is playing the piano, when a patron tries to force her to drink. As a result, the girl loses her position. A few days later Broncho Billy finds her wandering about the streets. She tells him the sad story of her life, and how through her innocence, she was led into a shameless life. Broncho Billy falls deeply in love with her, and shortly after asks her to become his wife.
A poor man and his wife have a hard struggle to make ends meet. They have seven children and frequently find it a hard task to get food for them all. The poor man has a wealthy brother who has no children. He and his wife are very anxious to adopt one of the poor brother's children. He offers his brother a house, land and money if he will consent to give up one of the children. T
The girl, on guard at the mountain defile, sees a strange man with all the accouterments of a painter. She hails him and he explains he is a landscape artist. Tom, coming along a moment later, also challenges him and is reassured of the stranger's calling when the stranger paints his picture. As the days go by, the painter and the girl meet frequently and Tom's attentions to the girl begin to be unwelcome, Tom is consumed with jealousy, but he likes the painter and he is a good loser. Then comes the denouement. The moonshiners learn that the painter is a revenue agent. Tom is about to kill him, but the girl buys his life at the price of her happiness. She tells Tom she will marry him if the spy goes free.
The highwayman, watching through the window of the ramshackle express office, sees the messenger pass a large sum of money under the charge of the agent. A few minute later the messenger, an old man, is held up and robbed by the highwayman. His pursuing shots attract the attention of the sheriff and he starts in pursuit. The highwayman is wounded and drags himself to the barn of a rancher. The rancher saves him from his pursuers and earns his gratitude. A few days later the rancher learns that the police are on his trail for a crime he had committed years before.
Broncho Billy is sent on a secret mission to a small Arizona town. There he meets a beautiful girl, Elizabeth Barton, who is betrothed to a handsome daredevil, Juan Martin, of the Bar-O Ranch. Broncho is given a job by the foreman, George Chisholm. At a dance Martin and another cow-puncher quarrel. Martin draws his gun but Broncho Billy interferes. Martin is enraged and attempts to shoot Broncho. He takes the gun from him, takes the cartridges out and hands it back. Martin plots with the cook and other members of the outfit to poison the coffee of the foreman and steal the cattle. He hopes to throw the blame for the murder and theft on Broncho Billy.
Slippery Slim and his wife, Sophie, drive to town. While Sophie does her shopping Slim sneaks over to the saloon to get a few drinks. Here he meets Mustang, so the two drink together. Slim has promised his wife that he will not take a drink as long as he wears a certain ring on his finger, so takes off the ring before each drink.