Scene 1: The interior of the railroad telegraph office:

Two masked robbers enter a rural RR telegraph office and force the station's telegraph operator to get the 'signal block' to stop an approaching train. Through the window of the station, the train is seen coming to a stop. They make him write a false order to the engineer to take on water at this station (instead of at "Red Lodge," the regular watering stop). The bandits crouch out of sight while pointing their revolvers at him, as the train conductor approaches the window. The frightened telegraph operator delivers the note with the fictitious order to the conductor. As soon as he leaves, they knock the operator out with a blow to the head. They tie his legs together and his arms behind his back. The bandits also place a gag around his mouth. They quickly move outside to catch up with the train, seen starting to move through the window.

Scene 2: The railroad water tower:

The bandits hide behind the water tower near the station as the train slowly pulls up and takes on water - due to the false order. The desperadoes stealthily sneak on board the train (between the tender, the car attached to the steam locomotive that carries fuel and water, and the express mail car) just before it pulls away.

Scene 3: Side view of the interior of the express mailcar:

The car's mail messenger is busy at work in the mail car as the train moves along. Through the open side door of the car, moving scenery can be seen. The worker is alarmed when he hears an unusual sound. He peeks through the door's keyhole leading to the tender and locomotive cab and sees the two bandits trying to break through the express car door. After being startled, he quickly recovers and locks the strong box containing the valuables, and throws the key out of the open side door. He draws his revolver and crouches behind the work desk, just as the robbers break down the door and enter. After a pistol duel, the messenger is killed. While one of the bandits stands watch by the door, the other one tries to open the strong box. When he finds it locked, he vainly searches the messenger's pocket for the key. To open it, he attaches an explosive to the safe and then runs for cover. The dynamite explosion blows the box open, sending billowing smoke - tinted red - and bits of money into the air. They take the valuables and three mail bags, and leave the car through the door leading to the locomotive cab.

Scene 4: The tender and the interior of the locomotive cab, looking toward the front of the train:

The train is moving about 40 mph. While the two bandits have been robbing the mail car, another bandit climbs over the tender and holds the engineer at gunpoint. A fourth bandit struggles with the fireman, who has seized a coal shovel for defense and climbed up on the tender. They have a fist-fight on the tender until they fall. The bandit has the advantage - he lands on top of the fireman. He takes a lump of coal and strikes the fireman on the head until he is unconscious. Then after overpowering him, he hurls the victim's body off the top of the moving train. [This was a startling special effect, although it was only a dummy figure.] The two bandits force the engineer to bring the train to a stop.

Scene 5: Side-view of the stopped train:

At gunpoint, the engineer is forced to leave the locomotive, and walk back to uncouple the locomotive from the rest of the passenger cars. They walk back to the front of the train and board the locomotive. The engineer is forced to pull the train ahead about 100 feet, leaving the rest of the cars behind.

Scene 6: An exterior scene showing the coach section of the train - the holdup.

The train passengers are forced to leave the coaches. One of the gun-wielding bandits compels everyone to keep their hands up. All of the passengers are lined up along the adjoining train tracks. While they are threatened and covered with a gun, the bandits rob them of their valuables. One of the passengers (Gilbert M. 'Broncho Billy' Anderson) runs away from the group in an escape attempt, but is shot in the back. After everyone has been searched and robbed, the bandits terrorize the passengers by firing their guns into the air. They make their escape to the locomotive at the front of the train. After the bandits have disappeared, the passengers rush to assist the wounded man on the ground.

Scene 7: The bandits board the locomotive and leave the scene of the holdup:

The bandits board the locomotive with large bags of valuables. They force the engineer to start the train and move off into the distance to the left.

Scene 8: The engine is brought to a stop and the bandits flee:

Farther along on the tracks, several miles from the scene of the hold up, the four robbers force the engineer to stop the locomotive. They jump from the train and escape down the side of the hill next to the tracks (the camera pans after them).

Scene 9: Their escape on horseback:

The bandits run through a beautiful valley, approaching closer into view. They cross a narrow stream. In a unique, lengthy pan shot, the camera slowly pans to the left where they mount their tethered, waiting horses in a nearby wood, and ride off toward the wilderness.

Scene 10: The interior of the telegraph office:

Back at the RR telegraph office of the first scene, the station operator still lies bound, gagged and unconscious on the floor. His young daughter (Mary Snow) enters the door (her cloak tinted red) with his dinner pail. She is startled to see him on the floor. She runs to him, shakes him, and then cuts the ropes that bind him. However, she is still unable to rouse him. Finally, she throws a glass of water in his face that brings him to consciousness. He is able to get to his feet.

Scene 11: The interior of a typical Western dance hall:

(The director of the film uses an inventive technique called jump-cutting or inter-cutting, to cover simultaneous actions in different locales.) Four couples are dancing a lively square dance, as others watch standing against a wall. (A few of the ladies' dresses are tinted yellow and red). One of the less accomplished, 'greenhorn' dancers, a Tenderfoot dancer (Gilbert M. 'Broncho Billy' Anderson), is pushed to the center of the floor and forced to do a jig. Bystanders are amused and shoot their six-shooters at his feet (seen in a small cloud of colored smoke) to make him dance faster. He runs from them when he gets the chance. The experienced dancers resume their quadrille. Suddenly, the door bursts open and the exhausted telegraph operator runs in. (The film technique of an ellipsis is introduced here - a leap forward in time by the omission of nonessential material.) He alerts them to the robbery that has occurred, causing an abrupt end to the dance. Enlisting a posse, the men grab their rifles and follow him out the door, hastily leaving the dance hall.

Scene 12: The posse chase:

Through a forested area, the four mounted bandits ride into view, pursued closely by the large posse. As they ride, they exchange gunfire at each other, causing smoke (tinted) to blast from the weapons. One of the bandits is shot and falls from his horse to the ground. He staggers to his feet and fires at one of the posse members to defend himself, but is shot dead a few moments later. The posse rides on after the other three bandits. One of the posse members stops and looks at the dead body.

Scene 13: Pursuit and shoot-out:

 The remaining bandits have dismounted from their horses. After looking around and not seeing any danger and thinking that they have eluded their pursuers, they dump the contents of their pouches on the ground to examine their 'take.' As they kneel and crouch down and sift through their booty, they do not notice the members of the posse approaching on foot from behind - until it is too late. They are surrounded. A ferocious gun battle begins (smoke from the guns is hand-tinted) and one by one, the bandits are killed. A few of the posse have also lost their lives. The members of the posse gather up the stolen loot and confiscate the bandits' guns.

Scene: 14: A life-size closeup picture of the leader of the outlaw band:

The film closes with a medium shot close-up of the bandit chief (with green-tinted shirt and red-tinted kerchief) (George Barnes) with his hat pushed back on his head. He points and shoots his revolver point-blank, directly into the camera (and, of course, at the audience). This caused a tremendously terrifying sensation at the time. This final punch to the film was totally irrelevant to the plot. Theater managers were free to either begin or end the picture with this scene - selecting it as either a prologue or epilogue.