Old Silas Gregg lives with his pretty daughter, Vedah, in the western hills, unknown to the girl. Gregg is the leader of a band of smugglers, who have their rendezvous in his barn. Vedah is loved by Brant Graham, a sturdy young Hillman, and to insure his future, Graham gets the sheriff to appoint him a deputy, receives his badge, pins it inside his sleeve and is ordered to be on the watch for smugglers, who are continually getting goods across the Mexican border, Graham promises and leaves. Later he goes to Gregg's shack, puts the ring on Vedah's finger and asks to see her father, to gain his consent. Finding he has gone down to the barn they start in search for him. In passing the barn Graham suddenly discovers Gregg and his gang sorting over their goods inside. Taking the girl out of range, Graham tells her that her father is a smuggler and it is his duty to capture him. Vedah begs him to spare the old man, but Graham is determined, enters the barn with drawn gun and is putting handcuffs on the smugglers, when Vedah, to save her father, seizes Graham from behind and the men make him prisoner. Vedah now pleads for Graham's life, but the enraged band draw lots to see who will kill the deputy, and Vedah is ordered to the shack by her stern father. Realizing her lover's peril, Vedah escapes from the room, mounts and rides furiously to the sheriff's office, gasps out her story and leads the posse back. They arrive in the nick of time to save Graham from death, then start to search for old Gregg. Meanwhile, Vedah has rushed to the shack, warned her father of his danger, and sends him dashing off across the border to safety. A moment later Graham takes her in his arms and they stand watching the old man's distant figure disappear over the hills.