Mustang Pete receives a letter from his daughter, Sophie, who is away at boarding school, asking permission to bring some girls home with her to spend their vacation. Mustang flatly refuses. That afternoon he and Slippery Slim have a fight over a checker game, and to get "square" Slim advertises the fact that he will pay his ranch hands double the salary that Mustang will pay. As a result Slim gets all of Mustang's helpers. Mustang then writes to Sophie and tells her to bring home the girls if she cares to. The girls arrive the following day and Mustang has an abundance of help, all of Slim's helpers deserting him.
Jack, Alice and Dandy are a well assorted trio. Jack is handsome, Alice sweet and Dandy is the best horse and friend a man ever had. Dandy takes the honors and a blue ribbon at the rodeo. Old Bill, the foreman, retires and Jack is given his position. Everyone is satisfied but Pedro, who treasures a grudge against the handsome Jack. His dislike turns into hate when Jack chastises the Mexican for ill-treating a horse. He seeks out the Indians and incites them to help him steal some of the Bar "B" horses.
When Bob Carey is released from prison after a long sentence for murder, begins the search for Mary, his former girlfriend. But soon he finds out that during his absence, she has married Clifford, a wealthy landowner. The happiness of that marriage is only apparent, Mary, in fact, is seriously ill, suffering from a brain tumor whose pains she attributes to an imaginary pregnancy. It becomes necessary to bring to the city of Laredo for an operation, so Clifford sells all his possessions and begins the long journey towards hope. Soon others will join the expedition: a former army scout named Rogers, a nice Chinese cook, Lin-Chu, and a mestizo that responds to the name of "Bets".
Cliff Barton, suspicious of the intentions of the local banker, Seth Tolliver, withdraws his money from the bank, hides it, and is later killed by two hirelings of the banker. Deputy Sheriff Art Stratton, who has trained Barton's horse and is in love with his daughter, Thora, is assigned to guard the ranch for the creditors; and Tolliver, who has designs on the property and wants his son to marry Thora, arranges to have the ranch auctioned.
Roy is put in charge of a highway construction project. A rancher tries to stop Roy from putting a highway across his land because he fears that the authorities are going to discover the unscrupulous manner in which he got it.
John Oakhurst, a gentleman gambler, befriends Sandy Morton, who has dissipated his birthright through gambling and excessive drinking and dropped from his father's sight. Although Oakhurst soon takes Sandy's place in the affections of his father, he boards a train heading West and meets Pritchard, an alcoholic, and his wife, the Duchess. Pritchard is wanted by the law and Oakhurst helps him to escape detectives who are on his trail.
A white man trades with the Comanche for the release of a female stranger and the pair cross paths with three outlaws who have their eyes on the handsome reward for bringing her home and Comanche on the warpath.
Outlaws Dale and Tucson quit Wolf's gang. Just as the two are about to rob the stage, Wolf and his gang beat them to it. Dale breaks it up saving the money and this gets him appointed Sheriff. But Wolf shows up and threatening to expose Dale, forces him to let his gang rob the express office.
Using a false accusation of unlawful land-squatting, Bill Edwards (Al Ferguson) goes to the County Seat and has Sheriff Brown to swear out a warrant against sheep-herders Marie Valerian (Neva Gerber) and her father (Silver Tip Baker. The Sheriff sends a Deputy, "Thundering" Thompson (Cheyenne Bill_, back to serve the warrant. Thompson learns that Edwards is only trying to force the Valerians to sell their sheep to him at a cheap price, and comes back without serving the warrant. This enrages Edwards who enlists the aid of a local cattleman and his hands to drive off the sheep. Thompson sets out to keep this from happening.
Pa is becoming increasingly crotchety, and has been crabby with Tom and with everyone else on the ranch. Then he gets a letter telling him that a young woman artist is coming to the ranch to sketch some of the scenery. The ranch hands are surprised and amused by the way that Pa's disposition improves as a result. But soon Pa and Tom are involved in a rivalry for the young woman's attention.
Before the U.S. Civil War rebel leader Luke Darcy sees himself as leader of a new independent Republic of Kansas but the military governor sends an ex-raider to capture Darcy.
Broncho Billy, a lawless western renegade, reels out of the Rawhide saloon one day and comes face to face with the town preacher. The good man tries to show Broncho the error of his ways, but Broncho laughs and goes on to the Rawhide dance hall where a crowd of young people are enjoying themselves.
Dick Rawlins, a cowpoke on the Jackson ranch, is in love with Inez, the beautiful daughter of the ranchowner; planning to ask Inez to marry him, Dick goes to town to buy her an engagement ring, eventually going into hock to Bob for $500. When Dick returns to the ranch, he learns that he has been fired as the result of a mysterious stranger's testimony. Dick goes to the bunkhouse and sacks out; while asleep, he dreams that at Bob's request he has faked a suicide in order to avoid paying his debts.
A woman is injured escaping her abusive husband and wanders the forest in a daze but loses her baby. Indians find her baby and rear the child as their own. Years later the mother is now married to an army colonel and living in a fort. A conflict with local the tribe breaks out and the woman discovers that their chief is her lost child.
Fur trappers Abel and Henry Iron struggle to make a living in a dying industry in the Rocky Mountains. Following in their late father's footsteps, they travel the mountains searching for beaver, carving out a meager existence in the western wilderness. When Abel encounters a band of Shoshone Indians, a misunderstanding leaves one indian dead and the Iron Brothers on the run. Together, Abel and Henry flee into the mountains to escape the warriors that are pursuing them. In the end, they will learn if the bond of brotherhood is enough to save them.