The entire town is terrorized. Broncho Billy has again been drinking and is shooting at everything in sight. After "shooting up" a saloon and grocery store Broncho goes to his cabin where he falls asleep. The sheriff and his men arrive, and after a fierce struggle overpower him. The man stationed outside suddenly rushes in and informs them that Broncho's mother has arrived to pay him a visit. The news quickly sobers Broncho, and the sheriff seeing his distress, pins his star on him, and himself dons the handcuffs. When his mother enters she thinks Broncho is the sheriff, and takes pity on the prisoner.
Sophie, who boasts the most perfect figure in the world, attracts the attention of every man in town when she arrives in Snakeville to demonstrate corsets.
Having refused to accompany either Broncho Billy or the mail carrier to a dance at the town hall, Broncho's sweetheart accepts the invitation of his best pal. Broncho takes the defeat gracefully and decides to leave the country, while the mail carrier tries to force her to go with him. She pulls a gun on him. He snatches it away from her, then leaves a note telling that he will turn the "plaything" over to her sweetheart if he calls for it at the saloon. Her sweetheart is afraid to do this, but tells Broncho of the affair and he immediately goes to the saloon, where he overpowers the mail carrier, taking the gun away from him. He then departs.
Broncho Billy, the town good-for-nothing, makes his headquarters at the saloon, where he makes a few cents each day by sweeping out the place. One morning the hotel proprietor, the general store keeper and the chairman of the town board, upon going to their places of business, find that they have been robbed.
Mustang Pete receives a letter from his daughter, Sophie, who is away at boarding school, asking permission to bring some girls home with her to spend their vacation. Mustang flatly refuses. That afternoon he and Slippery Slim have a fight over a checker game, and to get "square" Slim advertises the fact that he will pay his ranch hands double the salary that Mustang will pay. As a result Slim gets all of Mustang's helpers. Mustang then writes to Sophie and tells her to bring home the girls if she cares to. The girls arrive the following day and Mustang has an abundance of help, all of Slim's helpers deserting him.
Broncho and his wife arrive in a new country and settle. They are treated with all kindness by a man who later turns out to be a moonshiner, and Broncho, not having any special occupation, is induced to help the outlaw in his work. One day while Broncho is at work, the moonshiner goes to his helper's home and forces his affections upon his wife.
Broncho Billy shoots an outlaw for making a disrespectful remark about his sweetheart. After the shooting he hastens to her home and tells her he has shot a man, but does not know who he is. Shortly after the remainder of the gang of outlaws arrive and, to learn the direction Broncho went, tell her it was her father who was shot.
Slippery Slim uses his position as postmaster in order to hold back all the invitations to Sophie's birthday party, except, of course, his own and that of the parson.
The hotel proprietor is a grouchy piece of humanity, and when his daughter receives attentions from young men he becomes very irate. To cap the climax, his daughter falls in love and becomes engaged to a fine-looking young chap. When the father discovers this, he rushes out and shoots his daughter's sweetheart.
The doctor, who owns the only store in town, is called away, and leaves his daughter in charge. A bandit has been menacing the vicinity and a reward is offered for his capture. There is quite a sum of money in the store, and when Broncho Billy, a stranger, knocks at the door, the girl thinks he must be the outlaw and forces him into a room at the point of a gun
Broncho, the vagabond, is thrown out of the gambler's place because he has no money. He is light-hearted, nevertheless, and while strolling through the woods, runs upon a little girl trying to chop some wood. His heart is touched and he helps her. She leads him to the shack she calls home and Broncho is filled with pity when he sees her father sick
Broncho Billy is jilted by the girl he loves and goes up into the mountains with his friend to prospect for gold. His friend is very ill and asks for her constantly. In the meantime, Broncho has saved an Indian maiden from being sold to a chief whom she dislikes. She is very grateful and later falls in love with her rescuer. One day, as she is about to give him a Navajo blanket, his sweetheart appears, and the maiden realizes her love tor Broncho is hopeless. She is about to stab herself when spied by the disliked chief, who prevents her from doing so.
Broncho Billy, an outlaw, is captured but eludes his captors, and while making his getaway, runs upon the county judge's daughter, who is helplessly trying to stop her runaway horse. He makes a thrilling rescue while going at top speed on horseback, but is captured by the posse and taken back to town.
Broncho Billy and the coward are both in love with the school teacher at Snakeville. Broncho is accepted, and the coward, mad with jealousy, induces the unsuspecting rival to carry through a mock hold-up. When Broncho Billy appears as a highwayman, the school teacher shoots at him. The coward has left the crowd and fires at Broncho.
Broncho Billy learns that part of his land is occupied by a "squatter." He orders the "squatter" evicted. The latter starts out to kill Billy, but Bessie, the "squatter's" daughter, prevents him. She pleads with Billy to permit them to remain on the land. Billy immediately falls in love with her.
Broncho Billy, an express rider, is married to Stasia Wynn, daughter of Grant Wynn. John Mackey, a gambler, comes to town and Wynn loses all his money to him. Broncho Billy buys his wife a scarf pin, which her father steals and loses to the gambler. Mackey is caught cheating and is driven from town.
Broncho Billy is a foreman on Roger Newman's ranch and is in love with his daughter, Mae. Newman finds this out, discharges Broncho Billy and sends Mae to visit her brother in the east. Broncho Billy kidnaps Mae from the stage coach and they marry, squatting on Newman's land.