John Allen is in love with pretty Mabel Trude and the honor conferred upon Allen by the community, electing him sheriff, aids Allen in pressing his suit. The engagement is announced. Tom Trude, the brother of Mabel, is a sort of shiftless fellow and is exceedingly unlucky at cards. It required but little argument on the part of the acknowledged best man of the community to win Tom over to his gang, as he hopes to make good his losses at cards in some manner other than actual labor. The post office is held up and the sheriff called upon to bring the perpetrators to justice. A lively encounter is followed by the escape and pursuit of one of the men. The sheriff himself takes up the chase and successfully runs down the man. To his consternation, it proves to be Mabel's brother. He passes their home with the prisoner in tow. Mabel argues and pleads, but to no avail, and she finally plays her largest card--her love, against her brother's liberty. The mental struggle of the sheriff is intense, but he wins, and as he pockets the engagement ring returned to him by Mabel, he marches his prisoner off to jail.