At Fort Independence, Kansas, Lieutenant Singleton, a rival for the colonel's daughter Virginia recognizes Stanton, a young scout who previously was involved in a scandal and a row with Davolo (his own rival) over a woman named Lotta. In a quarrel with Davolo, Stanton shoots him and is held on a murder charge at the fort, but on the morning of the departure of a wagon train for California, Stanton escapes and, disguised in a minister's garb, joins the train and soon falls in love with Virginia, who reciprocates. Secretly, they go to San Francisco and open a gambling hall, but Stanton is shamed by his former military associates and decides to leave Virginia; after being involved in a mining camp incident, he is offered the choice of either reenlisting as a private or of being deported. Stanton gladly reenlists and finds that Virginia still loves him.