John Tisbury, a homesteader, driving a covered wagon bearing his wife, children and household effects, arrives before the office of John Wallace, government land agent at Sourgrass. He is but one of many homeseekers who have come to file upon the rich, watered land controlled by the government but always used by the cattle barons for grazing their herds. Wallace is obliged to permit Tisbury to file upon land cut by Tarantula Creek, a watering hole for the stock owned by Ace Brent, whose charming daughter Barbara is some day to become Mrs. Wallace. Anson Dukes, hating the cattle barons, advises Tisbury to fence off his claim immediately. He openly defies Brent and his daughter, Barbara. Brent’s cowpunchers cut the wires strung by Tisbury and an open war of the rapidly arriving homesteaders versus the cattlemen is imminent. Dukes arms the settlers but that night the cattlemen capture Tisbury and proceed to flog him. A pitched battle then ensues which Barbara nips in the bud by riding between the two factions, thereby calling a council of war. Matters are satisfactorily adjusted, and the flogging administered to Dukes who has been mulcting the homesteaders of their savings. Barbara’s forgiveness includes Wallace, who, she now realizes, has only done his duty as demanded by the government.