After the death of his parents, Steve Ransom becomes an outlaw, robbing the railroad company that took control of his parents' Wyoming ranch. In Arizona, he rescues Elsa Miller from a group of bandits near the Mexican border and falls in love with her. Elsa, a telegrapher, is unwittingly connected to a band of German spies operating a wireless that transmits messages to Berlin. When war is declared, Steve tries to enlist, but Herman Brandt, a German spy who also loves Elsa, sends word to the training camp that Steve is an outlaw. While hiding out in a canyon, Steve prevents the Germans from sending an important message to Berlin, after which he destroys the wireless. The charges against him are dropped, and as he leaves for the fronts of France, he promises Elsa that he will return to marry her.