Bill Borden and "Two-Gun" Smith love the same girl. She chooses Smith. He subsequently gets into a poker game and is caught cheating. In the melee he shoots his opponent. The vigilantes take his trail under the leadership of Bill Borden. "Two-Gun" flees to his cabin, grabs a few belongings and deserts his wife and baby boy. The vigilantes lose him and on going to his cabin find his wife dying. Bill Borden takes the baby and decides to raise it. Twenty years elapse. The boy has grown to be a hearty young man and idolizes Bill, his supposed father. They prospect in the hills and streams for gold. One day the boy, Jack, discovers a rich claim, and there is a gold rush to the region. Among those who come is "Two-Gun" Smith under the alias of "Chalky" Dawson, so named on account of his white face and hair. He at once proceeds to intimidate everyone by his gun play. Jack is in love with a little eastern girl and they plan to get married when Jack sells his mine. Bill seems to recognize "Chalky," but can't place him because of his changed appearance. Jack meets "Chalky" and is inveigled into a card game. He loses everything and eventually puts up his claims, which he loses. The boy tells Bill what he has done and also the girl. She goes to "Chalky" and begs him to restore Jack's claim. He seizes her and locks the door. Borden goes to "Chalky's" cabin with a gun to demand Jack's claim. The girl is concealed in another room when Borden arrives. Borden demands Jack's claim, but "Chalky" stands him off and also says that "no lead will ever croak him." He draws, but Borden shoots out the light and there is a duel in the dark. Jack hears the shots and hurries to the cabin. He lights the lamp as Borden strikes "Chalky" with his revolver. "Chalky" drops. The girl screams and Jack rushes into the room to rescue her. "Chalky" is recognized now by Borden, who tells him Jack is his son. He restores the claim and dies. Jack and the girl come in and Borden resolves that the secret of Jack's father shall never be revealed.