John Allen is in love with pretty Mabel Trude and the honor conferred upon Allen by the community, electing him sheriff, aids Allen in pressing his suit. The engagement is announced. Tom Trude, the brother of Mabel, is a sort of shiftless fellow and is exceedingly unlucky at cards. It required but little argument on the part of the acknowledged best man of the community to win Tom over to his gang, as he hopes to make good his losses at cards in some manner other than actual labor. The post office is held up and the sheriff called upon to bring the perpetrators to justice. A lively encounter is followed by the escape and pursuit of one of the men. The sheriff himself takes up the chase and successfully runs down the man. To his consternation, it proves to be Mabel's brother. He passes their home with the prisoner in tow. Mabel argues and pleads, but to no avail, and she finally plays her largest card--her love, against her brother's liberty
The prologue shows the life of a trapper, living in the solitude of the forest. He digs a bear trap, which is covered with boughs and grass. An Indian girl, armed with a bow and arrow, creeps close to a wild turkey, which she brings down. As she runs forward to gather up her prey she falls into the trap. Evans, the trapper, finds her there and on lifting her from the pit, finds that she has sprained her ankle, and takes her to his cabin, and makes her as comfortable as possible. As the shades of evening fall and the pain subsides, the girl drops into a slumber, and loath to awaken her, Evans leaves her in possession of his cabin and, wrapped in a blanket, sleeps outside. In the morning, the girl having recovered sufficiently, he lifts her to his horse, and mounting behind her, proceeds to the Indian camp. On the way he is attacked by a trio of Indians, who fire at him from behind a tree, and the trapper brings down one of his assailants.
Black Wolf, a brave, wants Whispering Water to be his squaw. Whispering Water is afraid of this taciturn Indian and refuses. He tries to carry her off but is stopped by another Indian, Brave Heart, and there is a savage light in which Black Wolf is worsted. He appeals to the chief to banish Brave Heart.
A pioneer caravan is attacked by Indians, who greatly outnumber the pale faces. The whole party are massacred, with the exception of a year-and-one-half old baby, who being hidden by its mother, escapes detection. Whitey is a big, bashful cowpuncher, who secretly worships at the shrine of the only eligible woman in camp, a buxom widow.
A regiment of cavalry surprises the Sioux and puts them to flight. Colonel Graham and others personally attend to the wants of the wounded, and the Colonel finds a wounded squaw in one of the tepees, with a little girl crouched in terror by her side.
Red Reagan, and two companions, Brooks and Mathis, lose their way while on a prospecting trip in the mountains. Fortunately they come to an Indian camp where they get food and water, and So-Jun-Wah a beauteous Indian maid, shows them the trail to the settlement.
The basis of the story is an old edict, issued as the result of one of the tribal differences, that death shall be meted out to the Hopi woman who marries an Apache.
After committing a crime, an African soccer player finds himself on the run. He finds refuge in an isolated farmhouse in Eastern Europe. He soon realizes that this is a slave camp. He must fight not only for his survival, but also for his freedom.
Because White Dove, daughter of the Indian Chief, and Moccasin, her half-breed husband, are baptized by Donald McTavish, the new minister of Gray Rock, Ariz., they become subject for the vengeance of the Medicine Man.
Dice Allen is a square-playing gambler who falls in love with a girl whose father gambles away their ranch. He uses his skill at cards to win back the money but is robbed and beaten and suspected by the girl. Finally, learning the truth, she goes to Dice for help, and he enters his own horse in a race and wins enough money to save the ranch.
Professor De Risque, anxious to escape for a time the too solicitous attention of Madame De Risque, arrives at Roaring Gulch and, noting that the town numbers some very pretty girls amongst its population, he hangs out his shingle announcing the fact that he teaches the piano and violin. The professor is charming and the young ladies are impressionable, they readily desert the constant cowboys for the professor. The cowboys get their heads together and plan a counter-move.
Violet De Ray opens up a barber shop at Roaring Gulch. Violet not only does a ripping good business, but she unconsciously has a hand in hurrying along several matrimonial affairs which have hung fire. This is notably the case with Si, who has loved bashfully and at a respectable distance for years. He is lured into Violet's shop, and after his chin whiskers have been clipped he emerges elated; and this coupled with Mandy's desire to protect him from such evil influences, cements a long drawn out romance.
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.
Dick Martin, foreman of the Circle E ranch, tells Colonel Gray that his mother is coming to visit them for a short time. The Colonel thinks it's a fine opportunity to invite his three nieces from the city, as Dick's mother could act as their chaperone.
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.
Dick Lee, while hunting, meets James Gordon, an old rancher, who invites him to his cabin. Here he meets the rancher's daughter Mary. They soon become fast friends, and the girl's heart is almost broken when, at the end of the boy's holidays, he is to return to the city. Mary makes him promise to write. Back in the city, Dick tries to forget the country girl, and, as he is engaged to Lillian West, life is very gay indeed. Somehow, he cannot forget the little girl back on the ranch. The promised letter, however, is never written. Mary looks every day for the letter that does not come, and her father is very sad to see her pine away. At last he cannot stand it longer, and makes up his mind to go to the city and hunt Dick up.
A little girl whose parents were killed by Indians grows up the adopted daughter of a white settler and the one Indian who lives in the same hut with him. They both love the girl dearly and finally, when an artist comes along with whom she falls in love and who ultimately takes her away to his eastern home.
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