The entire town is terrorized. Broncho Billy has again been drinking and is shooting at everything in sight. After "shooting up" a saloon and grocery store Broncho goes to his cabin where he falls asleep. The sheriff and his men arrive, and after a fierce struggle overpower him. The man stationed outside suddenly rushes in and informs them that Broncho's mother has arrived to pay him a visit. The news quickly sobers Broncho, and the sheriff seeing his distress, pins his star on him, and himself dons the handcuffs. When his mother enters she thinks Broncho is the sheriff, and takes pity on the prisoner.

Sophie, who boasts the most perfect figure in the world, attracts the attention of every man in town when she arrives in Snakeville to demonstrate corsets.

The sheriff is in love with a beautiful widow. The widow has a brother who is in secret a rascal and a member of a gang of bandits. The sheriff and the widow have arrived at an understanding and she is wearing his ring. One day four masked men ride into the village, loot the bank, terrorize the community and ride away with a big sack of gold. The sheriff goes in pursuit, and after a lot of shooting, fast riding and acrobatic horsemanship, the bank looters are caught. When the masks are removed, the sheriff discovers to his consternation that the brother of the handsome widow is the chief of the band. Duty stares at him with unsmiling face.

Having refused to accompany either Broncho Billy or the mail carrier to a dance at the town hall, Broncho's sweetheart accepts the invitation of his best pal. Broncho takes the defeat gracefully and decides to leave the country, while the mail carrier tries to force her to go with him. She pulls a gun on him. He snatches it away from her, then leaves a note telling that he will turn the "plaything" over to her sweetheart if he calls for it at the saloon. Her sweetheart is afraid to do this, but tells Broncho of the affair and he immediately goes to the saloon, where he overpowers the mail carrier, taking the gun away from him. He then departs.

Jimmy Hayes joins the Texas rangers. He causes much merriment by introducing to his new friends an ugly horned toad, around the neck of which he has tied a bright ribbon. He has named the horned toad "Muriel," and it is his constant companion, having a domicile within his flannel shirt.

Broncho Billy, the town good-for-nothing, makes his headquarters at the saloon, where he makes a few cents each day by sweeping out the place. One morning the hotel proprietor, the general store keeper and the chairman of the town board, upon going to their places of business, find that they have been robbed.

The ranchman's daughter is in love with Jack of the Rancho and becomes engaged to him, but Pa comes on their lovemaking and rudely separates them. Following an idea which he worked on during a visit to New York, Pa writes to a Frenchman, a lawyer there, and tells him he will marry his daughter to a count the lawyer will provide. The lawyer accordingly looks up an Italian cook, decks him out with a red sash, etc., and sends him west for the easy money.

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.

A Mexican leaves his wife and family with hunger staring them in the face to get a job on the "Rocking Chair" Ranch, so that he can supply them with life's necessities. Mexicans are not popular at the ranch and the new man is bullied and persecuted until he tries to kill his foreman, whereupon he is kicked out. He plans to burn the ranch buildings out of revenge.

Col. Landers adopts two children, "How," an Indian boy, and Bess, whose parents were killed in an Indian uprising. When the children are grown, How proposes to Bess, whom he has loved since his childhood. She accepts his proposal, thus angering Clayton Craig, Lander's nephew who also wants to marry her. After Lander's death, How is exiled from the ranch, so he and Bess buy new land. One day, after he has been away, How returns to his cabin to see Bess and Craig embracing. How grants Bess her freedom after which she marries Craig and moves to New York. Some time later, How discovers oil on the land that he gave Bess, so he follows them to New York. There he finds that Craig has been unfaithful to Bess. In the end, Bess rejects Craig so that she and How can remarry and find "a trail to happiness together." -From TCM.com Database, powered by the AFI.

Society man Arthur Lee is in love with society belle Helen Robinson, who is also admired by James Holden, a wealthy mine owner from the West. At her father's country place, Lee is unhappy because of her popularity but is appeased when she finally accepts his proposal and ring. Holden interrupts and claims a moment's talk. Telling Lee to wait for her in a favorite nook of the veranda, she goes with Holden while Lee strolls in the garden to await her. After proposing, Holden leaves her and hastens to the nook, seating himself with his back to the French windows. Lee is nearby in the garden finishing his smoke. He sees Holden in his chair, by the light of the latter's cigarette, and then sees Helen come from the lighted ballroom, approach the chair and throw her arms about Holden, sit in his lap and kiss him. Lee turns away in despair and anger and leaves the grounds.

Broncho Billy comes between a Mexican thug and the young woman he is disturbing. The Mexican plots revenge for the insult and captures Billy, who has rescued a lost old man. The young woman discovers Billy being held prisoner and rides for help. The townsmen gallop toward Billy's rescue.

Slim is elected to try to last three rounds against the world's champion boxer in order to win $100.

The story is of a Redman, a civilized Indian, who takes into his home a wounded gambler, shot while escaping the sheriff. The gambler has no honor and wins the affections of Bounding Fawn, the Redman's pretty squaw. The Indian discovers the gambler's treachery, and throws him together with Bounding Fawn, out of the cabin.

Luke Barns obtains employment with a moving picture concern as a cowboy and declares himself capable of performing any or all feats such as cowboys are supposed to perform.

Broncho and his wife arrive in a new country and settle. They are treated with all kindness by a man who later turns out to be a moonshiner, and Broncho, not having any special occupation, is induced to help the outlaw in his work. One day while Broncho is at work, the moonshiner goes to his helper's home and forces his affections upon his wife.

Sophie tries curing Slim's drinking problem by forcing him to drink ammonia, but it doesn't work.