The Scapegoat

Harry Mason, a young New Yorker of good family, tries to borrow money from his brother, Tom. One afternoon Tom collects $5,000 for his father. As it is after banking hours, Mr. Mason puts the money in his house safe. He is overseen by Harry, who breaks into the safe and steals the money. Tom enters the room just as Harry is closing the safe. As Harry exits with the money Mr. Mason enters and finds Tom bending over the open safe. He is accused of the theft and sent from home to his outraged father. Three years later, during which time Tom has met and fallen in love with Nellie Wright, he is elected sheriff of his county. Jack Wright, Nellie's brother, is a cowpuncher. He falls in with bad companions and is persuaded to give up cowpunching and take to the road for a living. Shortly after Tom is elected sheriff, Jack and his companions rob the Logan bank of a large sum of money. On the day of the bank robbery Tom rescues Nellie from a runaway horse. As he brings her home after the rescue he is told of the robbery, and, hurriedly assembling a posse, starts in pursuit of the outlaws. Finally, the outlaws separate and Jack, wounded, plunges into a river in an effort to elude his pursuers. Tom rides into the river and ropes Jack, thereby rescuing him from drowning. While on his way to town with his prisoner, Tom meets Nellie. Nellie is thunderstruck at finding her brother an outlaw. She pleads with her sweetheart for her brother's release. Tom finally turns over to Jack the stolen money, and the key to the handcuffs and his sheriff's star over to Nellie. Then he mounts his horse and rides out of the story.