Dan Hart, a ranchman on the Mexican border, starts for a distant town with a load of cattle, leaving his wife and daughters alone in the house. Several hours later one of the girls is getting water at the creek when she hears the sounds of battle and discovers the Mexicans and rebels are lighting again. Hastening to the ranch house she tells her mother and the woman prepares for any emergency. That night four of the rebels cross the border line, discover the flag flying in the ranch house yard and are hauling it down when one of the girls fires from the window and wounds one of their number. Pretending friendship the rebels gain entrance to the house, overpower the girls and imprison Mrs. Hart in an upstairs bedroom. The brave woman manages to free her hands, lowers herself from the window, swims across the creek to the barn, saddles a horse and rides madly for the sheriff. Meanwhile, the rebels find some liquor in the house and become boisterous. Watching their opportunity the girls manage to escape and take refuge in the barn. Galloping into town Mrs. Hart rereads the news and starts back on a wild ride with the sheriff and posse. Discovering the flight of the girls the rebels are reeling out of the house when the posse dash up. The ruffians attempt to escape to the woods, but are shot down by the enraged cowboys. Returning to the ranch house the boys find Mrs. Hart and her daughters clasped in her husband's arms.