Ben Martin, a headstrong, virile young American from Arkansas, pushes westward to make his fortune. He reaches California and in a game of chance with Romez, the bandit, who is allowed to pillage on the outskirts of the valley under the protection of Charles Carrillo in return for services rendered to Carrillo. Ben wins a bracelet of peculiar design, and two thousand acres of poor land on which he decides to settle and raise cattle. His land adjoins the ranch of John Gregg, to the charms of whose daughter Margy, Ben quickly capitulates. Carrillo, an influential landowner of Spanish descent, has a suave but sinister personality and ruthlessly pursues any means to accomplish his ends. On the occasion of an accident to his wife, Isabella, Carrillo meets Margy and is greatly impressed with her beauty. Margy's father dies, and to escape her loneliness in a measure, she accepts Carrillo's invitation to visit their home and be a companion to Isabella. It doesn't take Margy long to discover his ruse and he repulse of his insulting attentions fire Carrillo with rage and a determination to humiliate her. He instructs Romez to abduct the girl, take her to the bandits' Cactus Fortress - a plan to which Romez very readily agrees upon learning from the bracelet she wears as Ben's gift, that Margy is loved by the man who won his land from him. Margy, driving home, is seized from her carriage and carried away to the fortress. Pasqual, her servant, on his way with a message to Ben, suspicions that something is wrong. He pieces the facts together and hastens to Ben for aid. The two set out for Romez's camp; Ben is trapped and bound, but is released by Pasqual and in the struggle Romez is killed. When Carrillo comes to claim the girl he finds Ben waiting to kill him. Under the shame of Margy's appeal for his release, Carrillo has a revulsion of feeling and turns and fights against the bandits on Ben's side. The bandits are killed in a hard won battle. Ben claims Margy and Carrillo retires, a chastened and better man. - Moving Picture World, March 4, 1916