Monte Brewster learns that he has inherited $10 million from his late grandfather, but then learns that he must spend $2 million in less than a year and remain unmarried to inherit the rest of the money.

The Civil War has begun, and Mace Brewer goes to the front, leaving his young wife alone. His friend, Joe Saunders, also has to leave his aged mother and answer the call of duty to his country. The misfortunes of war claim Mace, and at night as Joe, sorely wounded, limps off the battlefield, he leaves Mace for dead. Soldiers burying the dead, discover life in Mace and he is hurried to the hospital, where the surgeons succeed in reviving him. Thinking Mace dead, Joe writes to his mother of this tragedy, and she sadly shows the letter to the wife. Joe returns. Mace's widow calls for the details of his death. After recovering from the operation it is found that Mace's mind is affected, and he is taken to an asylum for treatment.

The old Captain returns from his voyage and is welcomed by his faithful wife. The mate, a young husky man, is jealous of the Captain, and goes straight to the ship owner's office to knock him. He accomplishes the Captain's discharge. The old Captain breaks the news to his wife, who immediately betakes herself to the office. The old lady goes away disappointed. The new master cares not for his holiday, but returns at once to the ship, where he proceeds to give orders. The old Captain comes for his clothes, and offers his hand to the new Captain, who shakes it most lamely. A month later we see the new Captain drunk in his cabin, while a storm is raging. His men are hard at work at the wheel. The mate then rushes to the Captain's cabin and arouses him. The Captain and mate have a fight over the wheel, and, unable to control her, the ship strikes the rocks and is lost.

The border bandit Severn is after Estrada's money. He not only gets Estrada to promise his daughter to him in marriage but he also convinces him that Dave Marshall is the bandit. When Dave shows up to expose Severn, he is jailed.

A German Shepherd puppy is "adopted" by a wolf pack in the snowy and frozen Great North and raised by them as one of their own. A few years later he comes upon a fur trapper and saves the man from certain death, and begins to feel a kinship with him that is stronger than the one he has with his adopted pack.

Family tensions in the Kentucky hills are inflamed by an outsider's dishonest scheme to exploit the area for its coal.