Noel Burton, an adventurous American, falls in love with Annette, the daughter of Don Antonio Nevarro, whose rancho is mortgaged to Don Carlos Morello for $50,000. This individual is also a suitor for Annette, and, finding no favor from her, he threatens to foreclose the mortgage unless the girl is turned over to him. The father informs the American of his predicament and Noel repairs to his old friend, Sutter (the owner of Sutter's fort, who "backed" James W. Marshall when he first discovered gold in California in American rivers). Noel goes on the saw mill building expedition, strikes gold and sees a way to satisfy the creditor and win the girl. Morello hires an assassin to make away with Noel. The latter makes his escape but in his flight drops a beaded bag with nuggets and a curl of Annette's hair (which she had given him on parting). Morello takes this to Don Nevarro as a proof of Noel's death. In her despair over his seeming death and the affairs of her father, she concludes to marry Morello. Just as they are about to enter the church door, Noel appears, and with gold pays the father's debt. He then calls for the arrest of Morello, and leads the bride to the altar.
