Ma and Dad, with their two daughters, live in a cottage in a small western town. The sheriff is a friend of the family and a frequent visitor. Tom, the gambler, has tried to force his attention on Madge and Rose. The gambler plays cards in a bar-room with an assayer, and breaks him. Thereupon the assayer decides to end his life, but the gambler advances him some money, and the assayer signs an I.O.U. for the amount. Dad owns a small mine in the hills, and the assayer, who is out walking, sees Dad working in the mine. The assayer approaches, finds a valuable piece of quartz, and hurries off to assay it. Soon afterward, Dad also finds that the ore is rich, and goes to town to have it assayed. Madge and Rose ride to town on horseback, and as they are about to enter a store, the gambler approaches and tries to force his attentions on Rose. The sheriff sees the gambler's actions, and warns him about insulting the girls in the future. The assayer upon his return, finds a note from the gambler that if he can tip him to some rich mine and keep the owner in the dark, he will cancel the I.O.U. he holds against him. Dad enters with his sample of ore. He is told by the assayer that it is worthless. When Dad leaves, the assayer looks up the gambler, tips him off to Dad's rich mine, and both visit Dad's mine. In the meantime, Dad has assayed the sample of ore at home, and when the gambler calls and tries to buy the mine. Dad refuses to sell it. The gambler sees Madge and Rose riding home on horseback, and attacks Madge. Rose hears Madge's screams, rides back, throws her lariat over the gambler, and drags him by her horse across the ford. The following day the gambler visits a camp of renegades, and induces them to capture the two girls, and bring them to camp. Ma, becoming alarmed at their absence, mounts a horse and goes in search of them. She notifies the sheriff, who forms a posse, and led by Ma they start after the renegades. Ma kills the gambler in a running fight, after which Ma and the posse find the girls safe. The sheriff marries Rose, while Ma keeps Madge for herself.