Tom Gray and Jack King are prospecting together in the west. One day they receive a letter from Dorris Dean, a girl whom they both love, asking one of them to come to her assistance, as she is in trouble. They toss a coin to see who shall go, and Jack wins, but later, knowing that Tom will never recover from the blow, he leaves a note telling the other that he will give up all claims to the girl and that Tom should go back. Tom sees Jack leaving the house and thinks he is going back east. In his intense jealousy he shoots Jack from behind, but wounds him slightly.
Buck Stevens, an outlaw, escapes from the county jail, but is speedily captured and locked up again. In more ways than one Buck is shown kindness by the sheriff, who urges him to serve his time. A few years later, when Buck is released, he reads that there is a reward for the capture of one Dare Devil Kelly, hiding in Snake Canon. The sheriff is incapacitated through injury to his ankle and after vainly calling for volunteers to go after the bad man, the sheriff gives Buck the chance.
The cattle owners have formed a lynching party and are in pursuit of a rustler who has been ravaging the country. Broncho Billy, the sheriff, goes after him and captures him single handed. He takes the prisoner to a hotel for the night, and while in the barroom the lynching party comes along. They leave their shotguns outside and step in for a drink.
Broncho's brother has a quarrel with a greaser. In the fight that follows the greaser is bested, but swears to be avenged. Broncho's brother then goes home and while under the influence of liquor, strikes his mother. Broncho, hearing her screams, rushes into the room, but by this time his brother has departed.
Broncho's former wife writes a note to him shortly before her death, asking him to forgive her, also the other man. Broncho is heartbroken at hearing of her death, and his memory takes him back to the days when they were happily married. Then this scoundrel came into her life and finally succeeded in parting them.
Broncho Billy, a young clergyman, is struck on the head and left for dead by his partner, just after they have struck it rich on a mining claim. He is found by a young Indian girl and taken to the Indian camp where he is nursed back to health. During his convalescence he teaches the girl the commandment, "Thou Shalt Not Kill," and the motto, "Forgive and Forget."
Broncho Billy and his pals hold up a stagecoach. In rifling the mail bag, Broncho discovers a letter from his mother in which she begs him to come back home, as she is dying. Before he can comply, he and his band are captured. He is placed in charge of a young man, who hopes to get enough money from the reward for the capture of the bandits to marry his sweetheart.
Henry Carter, a forester, has but one falling, that of drink. Despite his efforts to cure himself of his terrible habit, temptation is always stronger than his will, and Agnes, his daughter, is in despair. Finally persuaded to take treatment at a sanitarium by Rev. Small, Carter decides to give it a trial.
Tom Perkins, a Chicago youth, is arrested, charged with being one of the carbarn bandits, to whom is attributed a series of bold robberies. The disgraced parents also suffer for their son's crimes, the elder Perkins being thrown out of a job, and they are forced to leave their rented cottage, on account of the bad character of their son.
Old Jim Lacey and his daughter operate a stagecoach in the west. One day, Alice, the girl, meets Tom Percival, a prospector, green from the east, and they fall in love. A few weeks later Tom writes Alice that he has struck it rich and for her to accompany her father on the stagecoach that day and she can ride with him to the claim office.
Steve Jameson, a cowboy, is having a lonely meal on the range one day when suddenly he is surprised by a stranger, who rushes covertly out of the bushes and begs him, in an excited manner, for food. The newcomer is a Mexican and his strange demeanor and excited manner suggest to Steve that he is a fugitive.
Young Jim Logan, a miner at the "Little Jonny" mine, is in financial straits owing to the long illness of his wife. Other misfortunes follow when Jim learns of the discontent of other miners and their grumbling at the present wage scale they are receiving. It is finally decided to make demands to the mine owners
Broncho Billy, sheriff of Cheyenne County, in love with Marguerite Clayton, is accepted by her. Marguerite's father approves of the engagement. Little did Broncho Billy know the father of the girl he is going to marry is a notorious outlaw. After holding up a stage one day, Clayton is pursued by the sheriff and his posse.
Earl Briggs, a ranchman, and Carl Underwood, a sheriff, are in love with Grace Woodward. Earl is the favored suitor and in time Grace becomes engaged to hire. Sometime later the stage is held up by Broncho Billy, a notorious outlaw. A fierce battle ensues in the woods between the posse and the bandit, in which Broncho Billy is wounded
Jim Reed, an outlaw, holds up a stagecoach, but is seen by a horseman, who hastily rides to the sheriff's office and shortly after, the sheriff and posse are in pursuit. Finding the trail of the desperado they follow him through a dense woods on the mountainside before he is aware that he is being pursued. He easily eludes them and comes across a miner's hut.
During an attack on the Matelija Indian village, Wana, a beautiful Indian girl, is captured. Don Pablo, a Mexican gentleman, rescues Wana and places her in the care of the old Padre at San Louis Rey Mission. Two months later Wana again meets her rescuer. Romero, a half-breed, is rejected by Rubia, Don Pablo's sweetheart.
Sam Madden and his daughter Emily run a general store in a small Western town. One of their frequent visitors and one who Madden especially admires is Grey Deer, an educated Indian, and on his deathbed, at the opening of the story, he exacts a promise from Emily that she will wed Gray Deer when he dies.
Gordon Olcott, an eastern millionaire, goes west and examines large tracts of land with the view of purchasing a tract, intending to build a summer home. After selecting a suitable tract, covering several thousands of acres, he learns that a miner, working a claim on a portion of his tract has refused to vacate.
A girl deserts her cowboy sweetheart and marries a gambler. In a short time she realizes her mistake and is thrust from the house when ill. Vainly she tries to induce her husband to take her back, but he refuses and she falls by the wayside in a dying condition, where she is found by her former lover. After she dies he hunts out her husband, forces him to go to the house and see her body and then gives him the choice of a vial of poison or bullets from is revolvers.
Broncho Bill of Snakeville, is on one of his sprees. Loaded down with all kinds of artillery, he comes up Main Street, firing both pistols. He first visits the town bar and chases everybody out; he breaks into the hotel and causes a panic there; breaks up a prayer meeting; puts an English tourist to flight; grabs the boot off of "Alkali" Ike's foot and shoots at it in the air. Finally, tired of his sport, he borrows a horse and starts for home, shortly after to be pursued by the sheriff and his posse.