Cowhand Jim Cleve is wrongly accused of murder and rescued by Jack Kells, leader of a band of Idaho outlaws known as the Border Legion. But when the Legion takes Joan Randall prisoner and leaves Cleve to guard her, he realizes that he cannot remain part of an outlaw band and decides to rescue Joan.
The story is set in the Black Hills of South Dakota circa 1876. While making their way through the Badlands, a religious cult is terrorized by a bandit known only as Black Roger.
Hank Kinney, a ranger, witnesses the accidental death of a man and the survival of a motherless infant. Kinney asks the county sheriff to process adoption papers and goes with the child to take up the mining claim left him by his father. Sam Bruce, the richest and most hated man in Copperville, tries to jump the claim and swears vengeance when Kinney kicks him off the property. Kinney strikes up a friendship with Ruth Buxley, daughter of the general store proprietor; and Bruce, who covets the girl, instigates a rumor that Hank is unfit to rear a child and sends the sheriff's posse to get the the baby.
A remake of a 1917 Dustin Farnum Western, Durand of the Bad Lands is the story a rancher falsely accused of a crime actually committed by Sheriff Clem Allison and his henchman Pete Garson.
On a mission to discover the identity of the rustlers of the cattle on Britton ranch, Blue Streak O'Neil exposes the villains mingling with the sheriff's posse. Having won the ranch for the heroine, he accepts from her a half interest in it, and also her love.
Mario, weary of killing for pay, leaves his gang to return home to his wife and son who assumed him long dead. Now he is hunted by both sides of the law and shunned by his wife.
"Lightning" Jack inherits a ranch. Unfortunately, he is forced to share his inheritance with Donaldeen Travis, a snobbish debutante type who arrives from the East with her mammy and sister in tow. Donaldeen takes an immediate dislike to the uncouth "Lightning" and spends time instead with smooth-talking neighbor Currier King.
"Squint" Taylor owns a ranch and has a much older mining partner. When the partner is fatally wounded, he makes Taylor promise to take care of his daughter Marion. Taylor is more than happy to do his bidding, but Marion and her uncle are both involved with William Carrington, who is trying to cheat them out of her share of the mine.
George Kirby steals a mining claim from Tom Curtis and forces him to become an outlaw. Years later, Curtis comes to the rescue when Anne Kirby is kidnapped by real outlaws, but when he finds out she is married to his enemy, he decides to hold her captive.
Two men, a wanderer in need of water, and a sophisticated lowlife, having been thrown out of the saloon and in need of money, meet face to face in the town street.
Carter Brace is out to murder Belden. Collins who was sent to bring in the border gang led by Brace, saves Belden's life in San Francisco. When they all reach the border, Brace tries again.
Ben Johnson, a sheepherder who hates sheep, is instructed by his employer, Vasquez, to escort beautiful Rena Newhall to her father's ranch. On the journey, Rena is abducted by Zach Marlin, who takes her to Buck Brent, an outlaw who has sworn vengeance on Jim Newhall, Rena's father, for sending him to jail years before. Ben later poses as an outlaw, joins Brent's band, and takes a hand in rustling the elder Newhall's cattle. On that raid, Ben contrives to get himself captured and convinces Rena's father both of his own good intentions and of the treachery of Marlin. Ben rejoins Brent's gang, but he is soon exposed as a fraud by Marlin.