Although he is opposed to farmers moving into cattle country because of a shortage of water, cattleman Brill assists the farmers and becomes friendly with one, Bramble, his daughter Priscilla and his weak-willed son Larry. The conflict between the cattlemen and the farmers escalates when Judge Curry, a crooked land promoter and political boss, begins to sell worthless acreage to settlers on the promise of unlimited water from non-existent wells. Larry soon falls in with the unscrupulous land sharks, and after hearing local butcher, Pete Gore, one of Curry's henchmen, complain about the shortage of beef, he suggests a raid on Brill's cattle. Following an early morning cattle rustling on his ranch, Brill goes to Bramble, who was recently appointed prosecuting attorney of Olympia City, seeking justice. Priscilla, aware that her brother was involved in the crime, covers for him, but is caught lying about where Larry's horse was during the raid when Brill finds evidence that the horse had recently been on his ranch. Tensions mount after Gore kills Sheriff Austin while trying to question him about the raid. Through a fraudulent election, the wily Curry manages to maneuver Gore's trial into his jurisdiction, resulting in the acquittal of Gore by Curry's hand-picked jury. When Bramble secures his appointment as county judge from the governor, he immediately names Brill as the new sheriff. Brill wastes no time in bringing back the county court records, which were moved to facilitate Pete's trial, to their rightful place, and arrests Gore for a retrial. While the jury deliberates the fate of Gore, Curry's men descend on the court to disrupt the proceedings with a shootout. While deliberating the verdict outside the courtroom, the jury becomes involved in the gun battle, although the gunfire does not prevent them from shouting their "guilty" verdicts one by one into the courtroom. Consequently, the judge orders Gore to be hanged, and the victorious Brill wins Priscilla's love.