Allan Ardmore and his sister, Edith, two young eastern people, pay a visit to their uncle's ranch in Arizona. Young Ardmore has suffered a physical breakdown and is seeking to regain his health. Albert Weston, his uncle, believes in the doctrine of "back to nature" and sees plainly that what the boy needs is fresh air and plenty of rough, hard work. Summoning his foreman, Dan Wells, he turns the boy over to him and tells him to make a cowboy out of him. Edith Ardmore attracts Dan's eye and he soon finds he is in love with her and is partially neglecting his real charge, her brother. He is brought to realize the seriousness of this, when he finds the youth in a gambling house, squandering the little money he has. Dan sees also, that Louisa, a young Mexican girl, and habitué of the place, is directly responsible for his evil ways, and calling him aside remonstrates with him kindly and tells him to avoid Tonia. Ardmore explains that he realizes he is on the path to ruin and promises to mend his ways, but he finds it almost impossible to rid himself of his intuition for the Mexican girl and again seeks her out. In the meantime young Wells has given evidence of his affections toward Edith in his careful attention to her wants and by presenting her with numberless little gifts, including a small hand purse. Later he confesses his love and is accepted by Edith. Ardmore, after numerous secret visits to the gambling house, loses all his money and Tonia turns him down, not wishing to have anything more to do with so poor a gambler. The misguided young fellow does not understand, he must not lose Tonia, and returning to the ranch house, slips into his sister's room and steals her purse, reflecting that with the money he can again re-establish himself in the good graces of his senorita. This money goes with the rest, and Ardmore hunting out Dan, tells him of his losing certain money which he must replace. Dan goes to the gambling house and wins back a portion of the money, but refuses to give any to the boy until he has broken off with Tonia. Tonia, he says, does not love him, and as proof of this, he offers to show the youth that Tonia would allow any man to make love to her, providing he had money. Young Ardmore demands proof and Dan promises to show him. Some time later, Ardmore finds Tonia and Dan together, and it is perfectly evident that what Dan has said is true. Suddenly a thought strikes Allan. He will call his sister and show her Dan's apparent perfidy and in that way have revenge upon his meddlesome guardian. He calls Edith and offers her a view of her lover's unfaithfulness. Edith, of course, entirely misunderstands the situation and turns away, fully resolved to break with such a trifler as Dan apparently is. Dan, in the meantime, has found that Tonia is carrying the purse which he gave Edith. He then realizes what young Ardmore meant, when he said he must replace certain money. Procuring the purse and denouncing the sinful Mexican girl, he places a number of bills in the purse and hurries to the ranch house. Slipping quietly into Edith's room he is about to replace the purse, when Edith enters. She accuses him of theft and unfaithfulness. Dan does not understand the last charge and pleads innocent to both. She tells him to go and hurls the purse and money into his face. He is about to stagger out, when Allan enters and makes a clean breast of his dishonesties. Explanations follow and a reconciliation is established between Dan and Edith, while young Ardmore promises to mend his ways.