In 1856, slave Eliza plans to marry George with the consent of the Shelbys, her masters, but George's owner prevents the wedding. A few years later, Eliza flees with her son, Harry, after learning the Shelbys plan to hand them over to a crooked creditor to prevent foreclosure. George also escapes and goes on the run while Eliza and Harry are captured and brought back home. Mother and son are separated as George tries to find them both.

Dee Halloran rescues Grace Macy from a runaway stage and learns that her grandfather was murdered before he could divulge the whereabouts of a large sum of money he had hidden from thieves. Buck Fitzgerald, the leader of a gang of desperadoes, weasels himself into Grace's confidence and leads her to believe that McKeller, a friend of Dee's, was responsible for the murder. Thinking that Grace knows the location of her grandfather's money, Fitzgerald later tries by force to make her talk.

An employee at a company that manufactures safes is accused of embezzling money from the firm, and must clear his name or go to prison.