In an isolated settlement in the wild west, a group of Native Americans launch an attack, putting the lives of children in danger. The cavalry comes to the rescue, engaging in a fierce battle at Elderbush Gulch. Amidst the chaos, a distraught mother desperately tries to protect her child. This silent film is a thrilling melodrama showcasing survival and the clash between settlers and Native Americans.

An elderly actor who lives with his wife and daughter is dismissed from his acting job because he is considered too old. On his way home from the theatre he panics at the thought of telling his family the bad news and decides to disguise himself as a beggar. His daughter's beau accidentally gives him a five dollar gold piece, thinking that it was a smaller coin. A chase ensues with a policeman, the daughter, and her beau in hot pursuit. When caught he is recognized by his shocked daughter, but is quickly forgiven by all. Meanwhile the actor hired to replace him has already been fired and a messenger is dispatched to rehire the Old Actor to the delight of his wife, daughter, and fellow actors.

From the dungeon where the lean beasts prowled, Hassan Bey summoned from her young lover's arms the old rug maker's daughter. Still she was obdurate. In his madness, he had poisoned his other love with the deadly sting of a serpent. His fury spent, he fell from bey to man, and sought to atone according to his light.

"He was a regular boy and his father a switchman. The boy determined to be like his dad and spent his play hours around the switch-tower. Thus at the crucial moment he was able to save his father's honor as a switchman, when the struggle between love and duty came and later to come to the aid of his parents in the hands of the desperate counterfeiters, eventually causing their capture." —Moving Picture World synopsis.

When not cutting down trees and shouting "TIMMMM-BERRRRR!", Jack Holt has to deal with someone who's sabotaging the camp. The miscreant turns out to be the odious Montagu Love, whom Holt dispenses with in a climactic fisticuffs session. Billie Dove provides the toothsome romantic interest.

Nora, the waif, is forced to attend school. She warms to her teacher for the way that he defends her against the taunts of some of the students, but when she's made to wear a dunce cap, she flees the schoolhouse in shame. Unsupervised by her alcoholic father, Nora becomes a determined truant, wandering the town during school hours. There she catches the attention of a huckster, who convinces her that they will run away and be married. The schoolmaster, meanwhile, preoccupied by Nora's absence, leaves his other students to go find her. He encounters her at a crossroads, being spirited away by the huckster, and calls the man's bluff by saying that he'll find them a minister.

Sentenced to be deported from Hawaii, Hung Chin Chung pledges twenty years of service to Henry Drew to escape the certain death that awaits him in China. Rage at his humiliation and inability to marry as a free man smolders in him throughout his servitude, near the end of which he sails to San Francisco with the Drew family. Also on board is Ralph Coolidge, who tries to retrieve from Drew his share of their gold mine, and who loves Drew's secretary, Mary-Will Tellfair. Shortly after their arrival, Henry Drew is murdered; suspicion falls on Ralph, the owner of the murder weapon, a curious Chinese dagger; but subsequent events lead Hung Chin Chung to confess to the crime.

As an infant, Ruth Drake was stolen from her father by her vengeful mother, and then abandoned. She was adopted and raised by a pawnbroker, and as a young woman joins the Salvation Army in order to help the kinds of people she has seen--and was--growing up. When war breaks out in Europe, she volunteers to go to France

A first-born baby girl is sent away and placed in the care of Gretchen, a trusted peasant woman, who is the widowed mother of a child about the same age. The two children grow up as sisters. Later, upon her deathbed, the noble lady repents and sends for her child to reinstate her. Gretchen takes this opportunity to make a great lady of her own daughter Lena, the goose girl, by sending her to court instead of the real heiress. Hence Lena is taken before the noble lady, happy in the belief that she has made reparation. Lena is now a great lady, but the title does not fit well-- She longs to be back with Gretchen and her "geeses".

The Goddess, the prettiest and best-natured girl that ever graced that little mining town, meets the tenderfoot prospector and leaves him another worshiper of her. His chances, however, are slim for Blue-grass Pete has won her affections, he having at an opportune moment saved her from the fangs of a snake which was about to attack her. Pete's affections turn to the Goddess's sister, while Pete's friends plot to rob.

Griffith intercuts between the lives of two couples married on the same day. One couple is rich, the other poor. Time passes, and in desperation over joblessness, the poor husband attempts to burgle a home, only to be captured at gunpoint by the mistress of the house. It is the home of the rich couple. While holding the poor intruder at gunpoint, the rich wife accidentally discovers evidence implicating her own husband in a bribery scheme.

Suspected of theft, the Indian was discharged on the ranch-hand's accusation, but the foreman's suspicions against the hand were confirmed in time to reinstate the Indian. In gratitude the Indian captured the thief with the ranchero's money and saved the girl as well.

Mary Pickford as "The Young Woman", is quite taken with Edwin August; in fact, he is her "ideal". But Mr. August's refusal to get mixed up in a street brawl makes him look like a coward to Ms. Pickford. Meanwhile, convict Alfred Paget has escaped from prison; and, he is "A Beast at Bay". While Pickford and August go for a ride in her automobile, criminal Paget ambushes one of his guards, taking the man's clothing and gun. Pickford drops off August, still arguing he is a coward, and drives off. Alone, Pickford gets out of her car to retrieve a fallen garment; then, on-the-lam Paget moves in to carjack her. From a distance, August witnesses Pickford being taken at gunpoint - can he save his girl, and prove he's not a coward?

Dick Martin, foreman of the Circle E ranch, tells Colonel Gray that his mother is coming to visit them for a short time. The Colonel thinks it's a fine opportunity to invite his three nieces from the city, as Dick's mother could act as their chaperone.

Cowboy Lin McLean's restlessness takes him to Denver, where he becomes enamored of a waitress named Katie. Intending to marry her, Lin accompanies Katie back to the ranch, but a traveling rainmaker arrives in the little town, and Katie departs with him after revealing that he is her husband. Visiting Denver for Christmas, Lin adopts Katie's abandoned son Billy, and soon afterwards, the cowboy meets and falls in love with the new station agent, Jessamine "Jessie" Buckner. Lin and Jessie marry, and the little family is happy until Katie, determined to be rid of her neglectful husband and marry Lin instead, appears and drives Jessie away. Realizing that Lin does not love her, Katie poisons herself, and Jessie returns to Lin and Billy.

Professor De Risque, anxious to escape for a time the too solicitous attention of Madame De Risque, arrives at Roaring Gulch and, noting that the town numbers some very pretty girls amongst its population, he hangs out his shingle announcing the fact that he teaches the piano and violin. The professor is charming and the young ladies are impressionable, they readily desert the constant cowboys for the professor. The cowboys get their heads together and plan a counter-move.

The hardship of earning an existence for the family made it impossible for the mother to approve the little pretty things which her daughter liked. Lack of attention made her son dissolute, but later the sturdy stock of his mother showed in him and the cozy home he provided for dad and sister made them forget the past.

Dare Rudd and Bate Fillmore have been enemies since early childhood, primarily over the affections of Nell Worstall. Dare, assuming the name of Holt, goes west to Colorado, as does most of his Kentucky friends and enemies. The feud between Dare and Bate is renewed, and Dare learns that Nell's father is in jail on a trumped-up charge made by Bate in order to force Nell to marry him.

Jimmy Mason lifts himself up from poverty to unlimited riches. The audience knows that he couldn't have done it without the help and support of his wife Marion. When Jimmy starts cheating on her, she divorces him, receiving an enormous settlement. Reduced to penury by various spendthrift mistresses, Jimmy is rescued once more by Marion, who once more guides him to success-and remarries him, this time on her terms.