Broncho works for a despicable land grabber who treats his help like a brute. The men finally plot to lynch the land grabber. Broncho races on his horse ahead of them and tells him of the plot.
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.
Andy of the Royal Mounted and another trooper are both in love with a little school teacher, who shows the light of knowledge to the children of the settlers in a tiny Canadian hamlet. The school teacher favors Andy's suit and the other trooper is correspondingly despondent. He loses gracefully because Andy is his best friend, but his trouble preys on him. He goes into a saloon, gets drunk and is caught by his colonel and discharged from the service. Later, he shoots a gambler in a brawl and while making his getaway, rescues the school teacher from death when her horse runs away.
The Outlaw, preparing to rob the stage, receives a letter from his wife, telling him to lead a good life for the sake of her and his baby, and informing him that he may expect them any time. Filled by remorse, he refuses to accompany his companions on their hold-up. As he rides away, he sees a sign offering clemency to the unknown robber if he will give up his gun. He seeks out the sheriff, surrenders the gun and goes on his way. But the stage is held up and the pursuing posse arrests him. Rendered desperate, he makes his escape and prepares to resume his criminal career. But the posse captures the real bandit.
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.
Broncho Billy, an outlaw, while being pursued by the sheriff of Bear County, crosses the line into Gulch County. Later he is captured by the Gulch County authorities, who wire to the neighboring sheriff's office to send a man to bring the prisoner back. A deputy sheriff is sent and that night they stop at a small hotel. Broncho and the deputy become quite friendly and Broncho induces him to remove his handcuffs. While Broncho Billy sleeps the deputy steals downstairs and enters a card game. He loses heavily. He returns to the room and tells Broncho of his loss. They then both turn in for the night. While the deputy sleeps, Broncho slips his gun from his pocket, goes downstairs and holds up the gamblers. Without waking his guardian, he places the loot on the table, then writes a note, telling the deputy that he has gone to the boundary and will be waiting for him there.
Tim Cantle, an evil-looking fellow, is drinking at a bar. The saloonkeeper's daughter enters, and Tim, slightly tipsy, tries to kiss her. She struggles to escape him. Broncho Billy enters and draws his gun. Tim flees. Tim gets his horse and rides away. As he approaches a house on a hill nearby, he sees Annie Fargo run out of her home, her father cursing her. Tim seizes and kisses her. She strikes him in the face and screams. Her father then comes out and drives Tim away. He sends Annie back into the house, following her with his gun. Tim swears vengeance.
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.
Slippery Slim receives an invitation to attend the wedding of Sophie and Mustang Pete. He is brokenhearted, and when he goes to Sophie's home to plead with her he is locked out. He leaves a note telling her that he is going to shoot himself, but he loses his nerve.
Broncho Billy and his pal are in love with the same girl. They argue one night as to which one she really loves. Broncho suggests that they go to her home and settle the matter. They arrive just in time to see the girl marrying a gambler who is known to be a low-down good-for-nothing by both Broncho and his pal.
Sophie writes a note to her aunt telling her that she is undecided whether she will marry Slippery Slim or Mustang Pete, but says she will accept the one who buys the best-looking horse.
Cletus Abernathy, a profiteering, washed-up, sheriff must call upon his past training as a deputy in order to face a man named Crenshaw later in the morning.
The division superintendent of the Montana Idaho R.R. finds it necessary to buy the property of an old settler in order to clear the right of way. The old man, with his daughter, has occupied the same cabin for years, and refuses to sell his holdings. The superintendent wires the general manager, who sends Broncho Billy, his assistant, with orders to get possession of the land at any cost. Broncho offers the old man an enormous amount, but is flatly refused. The daughter then leads Broncho into the yard, where he is shown the grave in which her mother has been laid to rest several years before. This is their reason for refusing to sell.
Slippery Slim and Sophie are deeply in love. Slim incurs the enmity of Hiram Clutts, Sophie's father, and Mustang Pete. They swear vengeance. Mustang writes a note to Slim, signing Sophie's name, asking him to meet her in a cemetery. Slim finds a band of men waiting clad in sheets. He flees and asks Sophie to save him.
The city girl decides to turn over a new leaf and go west where she can start life anew. Several years later finds her the wife of a minister in a small western town and extremely happy. One day she and her husband find Broncho Billy, an outlaw, lying in the road suffering from a wound. They take him to their home, and while the minister hastens for a doctor, his wife dresses the wound. She steps into an adjoining room, where she is confronted by the man who had been so cruel to her years before. He threatens to expose her if she refuses to give him money.
Colonel Emmett's daughter is captured by an outlaw who blindfolds her just before taking her to his hut, so, in case she escaped, she would be unable to lead anybody to his rendezvous. She is told by one of his accomplices that he intends forcing her into marriage, so she feigns illness. While the outlaw goes for a doctor, she writes a note saying that she is not ill, and is being held for ransom. The outlaw arrives with Broncho Billy, the doctor, whom he has also blindfolded. The girl slips him the note and he pretends to be attending her. Before being blindfolded again for the return journey he fills his pocket with white pills, which he drops at intervals, marking the trail.