James Miller Williams, Ira Jackson, Hugh Nixon Shaw, Bootjack Mary and Fairbank all have one thing in common: they smell opportunity when oil is discovered in the fields on 1850s Black Creek.
The prospector enters the western dance hall, and upon seeing the gambler, takes a mallet and apparently kills the man. He is captured by the posse and as he is dangling from a tree tells the story of how, years before, he and Ben had been in Texas together, Ben fleecing Rube of all his savings, robbed him of his girl, and disappeared. As Rube is about to breathe his last word, a message comes to the effect that Ben has recovered. The posse cut Rube down and take him back. He discovers that the girl is still with Ben and is the mother of seven urchins. Ben tries to rid himself of this domestic burden, but Rube flees on his trick mule and has the last laugh on the gambler.
Jack Bray is a wanderer in the wilderness of a Western town, governed principally by a band known as the 'six-o-one,' a gang of masked riders. While their original purpose was protection and not disturbance, they are temporarily under the direction of a degenerate, Jim Dougherty, keeper of the saloon.
Northwest Mounted Policemen Fitzgerald and Herrick, who are later joined by Indian guide Uncas, have been detailed to track down a gang of whiskey-runners.
Black Sparr, a hard-fighting, hard-drinking rancher, puts his son, Rance, through rigorous experiences to learn the ways of men. Rance thinks himself in love with Vivian Morrow. Vivian, an ambitious girl, longs for a life of finery away from the ranch and succumbs to the proposal of Braden, who offers her luxury.
After being released from prison, "Australia Joe" attempts a bank robbery and escapes. Out west, his gang robs the town-hall and steals papers for some mysterious person "higher up." Joe learns the identity of this man and prevents his marriage to the daughter of a man he has framed.
A 15-chapter Western serial. The serial involves the mystery of the murder of William Stillman (Wells) and the finding of the heir to his fortune. Silent Joe (Farnum) arrives in an effort to discover the murderer and prove that he is the true heir. He and the heroine Lou (Anderson) have their adventures in the mountainous terrain with its "vanishing trails." They are aided by The Shadow (Orlamond), a demented scientist with his trained dog, and several remarkable, death-dealing inventions.
Andy Green, a colorful cowboy, finds work at the Flying U cattle ranch, owned by Chip. Chip's foreman Dunk, who is Elsie Gray's guardian, attempts to force her to sign papers releasing him, but she refuses because he has stolen some of her money. Chip fires Dunk, who buys an adjoining sheep ranch, cutting off Chip's water supply and endangering his cattle.
The Parsons Land Reclamation Company hires "Drive" Garringer to rid the Arizona-Mexican border area of the Triple Arrow gang, who have been attacking their workmen. In Puma City, he discovers that the sheriff and leading citizens protect the outlaws. Meanwhile, Wilma Wharton, the daughter of an aged prospector, hoping to put an end to the advances of the gang leader, agrees to go through a fake marriage ceremony with another gang member, but later discovers that the marriage was performed by a authentic minister.
Captain Jack, the leader of the Modoc Tribe, attempts to negotiate peace between the army leadership and his tribe following a crushing victory over the US Army.
During a rescue of Mary and her father, Bob Bartlett finds a good horse, which later causes him to be mistaken for Butch Coleson, a wanted outlaw. Wounded by a posse, Bob heads for Poker Flats hoping to capture Coleson for the reward.
1866 - A year after the end of the American Civil War, a priest turned bounty hunter rests for the night with an emancipated slave he is transporting to be hanged, when a mysterious traveler stumbles into camp.