Don Pedro, a wealthy Mexican, and Bob Reswick, ranch foreman, both loved Bess and both sought her hand. Her heart she gave to Bob and when Don Pedro poured his passionate Spanish love into her ears, she sadly smiled and shook her head. Don Pedro taught her to tell fortunes by cards and Bess often sat alone in the hammock, idly swinging and finding much amusement in the trick. Don Pedro, alone in his gardens, brooded. He determined to kidnap her and took two Mexicans with him to her home. He found her in the hammock, threw a rope around it quickly swung it between the saddles of his peons and they galloped off. Swinging, cradle-like between the horsemen, Bess bethought herself of her cards, and dropped them, one by one through the hammock. Later her absence was discovered and frantic Bob with a posse took up the pursuit. He found cards scattered along the way and followed the trail to the mountains. There a battle royal occurred and the Don, defeated by the very cards whose use he had taught Bess, retired into the hills to spend the remainder of his worthless life. - Moving Picture World, January 11, 1913, p. 88.
This was the first effort by the newly formed Second Company in Santa Barbara. Production began on November 20th, 1912.
William Baumann had been assigned to come out from Chicago to direct the second company but Reid received the job only days before shooting began.