Paul Porter and his swindler friend Daddy Moffat visit Paul's hometown and find an old friend, Holt Langdon, local bank cashier, in trouble over oil investments. Because of his friendship and love for Langdon's sister, Margaret, Paul resolves to help him by robbing the bank. Finding Holt a victim of suicide inside the bank, he makes it appear that Holt died defending the premises. Paul determines to reform, and he aids Margaret by buying a local newspaper. When two confidence men induce the populace to invest in a fake oil well scheme, Paul and Daddy Moffat, with the help of lawyer Colonel Culpepper, start another phony oil well and force the confidence men to buy it out at a high price. Paul returns the townspeople's money and tells Margaret the story; she then agrees to marry him.

Director: Tod Browning