The particular comfort of Col. Jordon, the superintendent of a big western irrigating project, is his lovely daughter Bessie, in a rather lonely land. Kellog, the engineer of the works, is in love with her; but as his habits are doubtful, she desires the attention of his assistant. One day when a party is investigating the site of a dam in the mountains, a premature explosion of dynamite endangers the life of the girl. In this emergency the engineer proves himself a coward, but his assistant rescues the girl. The unscrupulous Kellog is not slow in observing the growth of affection between the young people, and he manages to shift suspicion concerning a Mexican woman, whom he has treated shamefully, toward the good young man. This leads to the temporary disgrace of the young engineer; but he saves the works from distraction at the revengeful hand of Kellog. Kellog eventually gets what is coming to him in deserved punishment, while his assistant is promoted and the girl is delighted.