Wade Hildreth is sent to New York from London to receive a diamond necklace for Lady Gwendolyn from the jeweler Arabin. A gang of crooks led by Pete Fielding, known as "The Shadow," plans to keep Hildreth from going to Arabin's until they have robbed the store. Actress Morn Light, whom the Shadow loves, agrees to entice Hildreth to her apartment to be imprisoned. When she warns Hildreth because she wants to avenge her father's death, which was caused by the Shadow, the Shadow overhears and captures them both.
Maizie Mackey finished with her term at boarding school in Los Angeles, leaves her sweetheart, Bud Stone, and returns to her father's ranch near Ash Forks, Cal. A few weeks later, Bud, lonesome and downhearted, wires Maizie's father that he is coming on to ask a very important question.
Old Silas Jordan, a settler, finds that his horse is not able to pull the heavy load demanded, and discovers the well-fed broncho of Jim Davis, a ranchman, staked out near the trail. Jordan deliberately takes the broncho, hitches it to his wagon and drives on.
Jim Dunn, county sheriff, is asked to withdraw his name as a candidate for re-election because the boys think he has proved himself incapable in office. Dunn is a tighter, rushes to town, declares he will be in the campaign in spite of all opposition, and has the town placarded with notices urging the boys to vote for him. .Meanwhile, the judges have a hard time to find a man with the nerve to run against Dunn. Broncho Billy, a ranchman, is urged to become a candidate and agrees. Cleaning his gun thoroughly, Broncho sits down to eat dinner. Word of Broncho's becoming his rival reaches Dunn's ears and he immediately rides to the ranch house.
Bart McGrew, a rascally schemer, endeavors to secure an old Indian chief's signature to a deed that will give him thousands of acres of valuable land owned by the tribe. Laughing Fawn, the chief's beautiful daughter, suspects Bart of treachery and takes her father away before he signs.
Jim Matthews, express agent in Red Rock, Arizona, and his daughter Alice, are watching anxiously over the bedside of Mrs. Matthews, who is very ill. An express box of money is now left by the stage and Matthews is ordered to guard it overnight. The "Arizona Kid," a notorious bandit, who has followed the stage and watched while they left the box, now gallops back to the rendezvous of his pals, tells them of the easy chance to rob the office and they start at once. Meanwhile Alice has sent her father for a doctor and is all alone with her sick mother.
John Mackley is in the hands of a money-lender, and a broken leg prevents him from meeting a note when due. He succeeds in putting off the payment until a future date, in the hope that better times will come in the interim. His wife and daughter, Lucy, comprise his family. Lucy, just budding into womanhood, has formed an attachment for a young man, who had rendered herself and mother a little service one day. They have met several times and love has become mutual. She knows nothing of his avocation or his past, only that he is living in the neighborhood.
Fairfax, California, is the location used for this film, one of the earliest Broncho Billy films. Anderson includes his usual mix of comedy and drama as Broncho Billy gets caught in the middle of a family dispute between a jealous hotel owner and his daughter when she flirts with her boyfriend, a cowboy her father dislikes.
'Spike' Shannon, a pugilist by occupation, signs to fight a 10-round bout, with another young knight of the ring. A contract is drawn and 'Spike' and his backers leave the office of the promoter. On the street they encounter a young couple, evidently at outs, but which proves later, upon the girl's explanation, to be a flirtation, in which she has no desire to take part. The masher has insolently insulted her. 'Spike' takes in the situation at once and with his strong right arm knocks the dude sprawling.
The story is of an old man and his daughter, he so addicted to gambling that they are penniless. Because of her beauty and her pleadings the gambler gives back the money the old man has lost and thenceforth refuses to allow him to play in his place. Later he assists in preventing the old man from gambling elsewhere.