- Judge of the Circuit Court, Camden McClure is a extremist advocate of law enforcement until he kills his brother during a fight. Fleeing from his crime, the judge hires Cal Nelson as his guide through the Western badlands. While crossing the desert, they meet Mary Jackson, who is lost and exhausted. Mary recovers, but the judge suffers heat stroke and, in his delirium, confesses his crime to Mary. To ease his guilt, Mary admits that she is a murderer, too, and the couple decide to get married. However, when the judge reads that his brother is alive, he once again adheres to the letter of the law and denounces Mary to the authorities. Cal, who has fallen in love with Mary, carries her to the desert to escape the sheriff, and there Mary admits that she fabricated her crime to relieve the judge. The judge then discovers that his brother is actually dead, and follows the fugitives into the desert, but is killed in a sandstorm, thus freeing Mary to wed Cal.—Pamela Short
- Camden McClure, Judge of the Circuit Court, was an advocate of the theory that the law should be enforced to the last letter without regard for sentiment or circumstances. This attitude he maintained in regard to the affair of his brother, for whom he was legal guardian. The brother needed more money than the court allowed. Judge McClure rejected his plea for funds. A fight followed. The brother drew a revolver. The Judge wrenched it from the boy, and while holding it the trigger was pulled. His brother fell, apparently dead. The Judge became a fugitive. He went back and secured Cal Nelson, a westerner, as a guide through the bad lands. While they were crossing the desert a woman came upon them. She had fled from the shanty where a man lay dead. Judge McClure became delirious from the heat, and told his secret tragedy to the woman, Mary. When sanity returned he suspected he had confessed. Mary admitted he had. Then she said she, too, was a killer, a woman who had killed her husband. The two decided to marry. They went to a settlement for a minister. The guide was in love with Mary but renounced his love so the woman could be happy. At the hotel he read in the paper his brother was alive. Instantly he became the strong enforcer of the law. Believing himself safe he denounced Mary as a murderess and notified the authorities. When the sheriff came for her Cal Nelson carried her away into the desert on his horse, outfooting the posse. Mary told Cal she only pretended she was a killer so that the Judge would not feel alone in his guilt. The Judge learned the newspaper was more than a year old. Again he became a fugitive and started into the desert after Cal and Mary. He was followed by two men. He rode into a sandstorm and there was caught in a landslide resulting in his death. The men following wired his brother their search was fruitless. Mary and Cal survived the storm. Cal begged her to wed him, but she said her faith was forever broken. They journeyed together to a distant stage terminus. As she was about to board the stage her faith in him returned and she rested in Cal's arms.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content