The Ridin' Fool presented the bantamweight star as Steve Kendall, a young cowboy saving gambler Boston Harry from being hanged by a group of vigilantes who accuse him of having killed Jim Beckworth. The fugitives hide out at Juanita's hacienda and while their mercenary hostess decides how to best fleece her guests, the posse arrives.
Rose Boland, a pretty young ranch owner, quarrels with her foreman because she dislikes his attentions. She discharges him from her employ, and her cowboys eject him from the ranch. The disgruntled foreman proceeds to join a band of cattle rustlers and engages with them in the looting of cattle.
Tom Jackson, a young man of good family, is elected sheriff. He is in love with Nell Turner, whose brother, Jack, is a reckless young fellow and belongs to a gang of bank robbers. Tom is popular and loves Nell dearly, while she returns his affections, and they have announced their engagement. Nell has a deep, sisterly love for her scapegrace brother Jack
Tom Bates is living in the city enjoying a liberal fortune left him by an uncle recently deceased. When Tom received his fortune he was working on a ranch as a cowboy and was a top-notcher, too. In the city he has met May, a charming and beautiful girl, who is engaged to marry him. Tom rescues a forlorn girl in the park from a ruffian. May breaks the engagement.
Harding Martin and David Patrick are both desperately in love with Elsie Johnson. Each tries to gain some advantage over his rival. Pretty Elsie coquettishly enjoys their rivalry and fosters it.
Steve Lannon is a retired gunman and reformed-outlaw who has left his ranch and is living in seclusion in San Francisco. He receives word that rustlers are on the rampage in the area of his ranch, and have stolen his horse, Silver. Steve returns to Nevada to take care of this matter.
It seems that an evil saloon owner not only wants this valuable steed for himself, but also its owner, the beautiful Mary Ellis. Enter honest gambler Jack Crosby, who wants to settle the score.
Cardsharp Jack Cardigan decides to go straight when he meets Doris Bradfield, but is forced to use his talents on behalf of her dad, whose land-grant title has fallen into the hands of Jed Harden through the gambling weakness of Bradfield's son Tom.
Esther Lee, a western girl, attending a college in the east, becomes engaged to Harold Shaw, a young collegian. She goes home to spend her vacation on the ranch, and arrives just after the election which has made her father the county sheriff.