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.
Broncho Billy, a cowpuncher, is elected to the office of deputy. The sheriff is in love with Gertrude Scott and fears that his deputy is smitten with her. An outlaw has been terrorizing the town and the sheriff determines to capture him. He meets the outlaw in the woods, gives him money and promises him his release the following day if he will give himself up.
Drink makes a brute of Broncho Billy and he does not realize what he is doing when under its influence. His wife and children are mortally afraid of him when he is in this condition and keep out of his way. At the saloon one day he provokes a quarrel with the one doctor of the town and wounds him with a shot from his gun.
Broncho Billy had promised Marguerite that he would never drink again. She agreed to marry him. That afternoon, one of the village gossips sees Marguerite with Boy Turner, a surveyor, and hastens to inform Broncho of it. Marguerite's sweetheart threatens to kill the surveyor, but finally suggests a duel to be fought ten minutes later. Marguerite hears of it, hastens to the minister's home, where she gets him and takes him to Kelly's saloon.
Carnos, a greaser, is sent to jail. He is a very refractory prisoner and swears to get even with the sheriff when he is liberated. On the day of the greaser's release, the sheriff had captured Broncho Billy, an outlaw, and was bringing him to justice, when he is suddenly pushed from his horse by the outlaw, and is left to wend his way across the plains afoot. Broncho Billy escapes on the sheriff's horse and unknowingly stops at the sheriff's home for food. Looking through a window he sees the greaser about to take the life of the sheriff's wife.
William Young and his daughter, Mildred, settle in the west, with the intention of investing their money in a mine. True Boardman, a mine shark, knowing that Young will be easy money, salts the mine and sells it to them.
Broncho Billy, a doctor and minister in the far west, is overwhelmed with grief one evening when he returns to his home to find a note from his wife stating that she could not bear the loneliness any longer and had gone to town with the man she loved. A few years later she is forced to her bed where she finally dies of a broken heart. Broncho had been told of her condition and hastens to her in time to kiss and forgive her. The negligent husband returns and Broncho Billy forgetting himself, is about to slay the man, when he suddenly remembers the note his wife had left for him, with these words, "Never forget your duty to your God."
A detective from the east is sent west to locate a notorious bandit and train robber. In the costume of a western cowpuncher he reaches a small town. He is injured by falling over a precipice. Broncho Billy finds him, carries him to his cabin and nurses him back to health. It is then that Broncho discovers that the detective is looking for him
Marguerite becomes weary as the hours and the Overland Limited roll on. Her trip from New York to the far west was a tedious one, and it is with a sigh of relief that she steps from the observation platform to pluck some flowers. The train had stopped for water. Marguerite wanders into the woods and when she returns, discovers that the train had pulled off. She is alone in a new country, without friends or funds.
John Wilson had driven the stagecoach for years. When his daughter, Marguerite, became old enough, he allowed her to make an occasional trip with him. It was when she was about 19 that she had the terrible experience. Her father and the express messenger bad gone into the general store. Marguerite remained on the coach to watch the horses, four of them. A shooting contest a few feet away frightened the horses and they bolted. On a gallop they dashed down the road. Marguerite screamed for her life.
Broncho Billy is a typical bad man. The story opens with him shooting up a small town in the west, and scaring the inhabitants nearly to death. The sheriff with his deputies order him out of the country. Sunday morning, the congregation is in church singing. Boardman, another bad man, and his protégés, break up the meeting. The preacher is ousted.
Broncho Billy, an express messenger, saved the life of Geraldine Burke, a school teacher. They learned to love each other and later married. One day, the village gossip informed some of the cowpunchers about town that Geraldine was entertaining a gentleman in her home. Broncho Billy was soon given the news and determined to settle with the critter immediately
Jack Holmes, a squatter, and his daughter, Margaret, settle on land owned by Harry Rawlins. Broncho Billy, gunman, is engaged by Rawlins to eject the squatter or put him out of the way. Broncho is wounded by a half-breed and Margaret nurses him back to health. The gunman then refuses to turn Holmes out.
Jim Kane, a gambler, prevails upon Grace Carew to marry him. Grace is undecided whom she loves the best, John Hunter, a ranchman, or Kane, but finally decides to marry Kane. Some time later, we see Kane abusing his wife, neglecting her and always in a state of intoxication. Hunter has always been a friend of the family and it was nothing unusual to see him in their home, but Kane, entering the house one evening under the influence of liquor, misinterprets the meaning of Hunter's presence there, and upbraids his wife, slapping her in the face. Hunter is furious, but controls himself.