The scene is in a typical cow section of Colorado. Bud Tracy, a daredevil cowboy and clack gun man of that region, is employed on Al Kernon's Ranch, but there is had feeling between them, over Phyllis, the belle of Three Pines. During a big dance on the Lazy S ranch, Bud, who had been "hitting 'er up" pretty lively of late, goes to sleep in the hay loft of the barn, with a lighted cigarette between his fingers. The ensuing conflagration is discovered by Kernon as he comes into the barn with a lantern to look over the stock before retiring, and Bud is awakened at the same time by the smoke. They both fight the fire until exhausted, but after it is over Kernon discharges Bud on the spot. Bud promises to "get" Kernon next time he comes to town, and then rides away across the desert. Bud's eyes have been troubling him for a long time, and the smoke and fire puts the finishing touch to them. During the lonely ride across the plain he goes stone blind. He falls from his horse and lies half-conscious by the roadside. A buckboard from the mines passes, the men in it recognize Bud, think he is sleeping off a jag, and after relieving him of his watch and gun, drive on. While the buckboard stands there and a pup, which the men were taking to town in a sack, slips out unnoticed. After the rig has driven on the pup licks Bud's face and awakens him. He sticks the pup into his shirt, calls his horse and finds his way to town by the feel of the sun on his bare flesh. There he falls in the way of Phyllis, who saves him from death at the hands of Kernon's men and accidentally finds him a surgeon in the person of the great New York eye specialist, who has been visiting his brother's mine and whose wife owns the puppy.