The period is 1876; trains of settlers are moving westward. It is the time of pioneers and prairie schooners. Dan is leading one wagon train and his party fall in with another led by a stalwart Indian, Mahomena. They proceed together. Amongst the latter party is a young girl, Eunice, and she and Dan are immediately attracted to each other
The Tornado mostly followed pulp Western formula -- bad guys hold up a town, take a girl hostage, and the hero rides to the rescue. But there were a couple of twists that made it seem more personal than the usual cowboy fare. Ford's Jack Dayton ... is known as "the No-Gun Man" because he faces the villains unarmed, anticipating the character played by James Stewart in George Marshall's 1939 Western comedy classic Destry Rides Again. Dayton is an immigrant who uses the reward money to bring over his mother (Jean Hathaway) from Ireland, a prototypically Fordian situation if there ever was one.
Sheriff Crane's wife and child are preparing for a little journey with their wagon and team. On arriving at the store, the wife, on attempting to get out, stumbles and startles the horses, which causes them to run away, the child hanging on to the wagon. This is seen by Harry, who gives chase, captures the runaway horses, and returns the child, unhurt, to the mother
American silent short movie.
Hell's Crown, a town where law and order are as scarce as preachers, is ruled by "Chuck" Wells, a former gun man. He has a dupe in Blaze, the terror of the town, and holds him by keeping him well supplied with money. A sheriff is appointed at Carson City on account of the horse rustlers.
General Gordon, of the Federal army, receives a message from General Grant, telling him to intercept important dispatches "from Lee to Webber, carried over wires" in Gordon's vicinity. Lieutenant Barrett assumes the task, takes his instruments and sets out. Colonel Webber, of the Confederate army, has a daughter Edith. Lieutenant Fairfax aspires to her hand, but his attentions only annoy her.
An old Indian legend tells of the supposed ability of persons who have been turned into wolves through magic power to assume human form at will for purposes of vengeance. This film is presumed lost.
Dr. Reid, a young American physician in the Philippines, risks his life in the cause of patriotism, and eventually wins the love of the girl of his choice. With the idea of developing in the natives in his community the spirit of manly citizenship, Dr. Reid requests the War Department to furnish him with a number of discarded Winchesters with which to drill the natives. His request is granted, but he runs afoul with the occupant Spanish army.
Bob Evans, a telegraph operator, together with a group of soldiers gets ambushed by Sioux Indians. Wounded, he climbs into a telegraph pole and asks through the telegraph wires for help from the fort. Bob's fiancée Edith comes along with the soldiers. The soldiers find only dead bodies and decide to chase the Indians. Edith stays behind to search for Bob. She finds him and together they return to the fort. The Sioux then attack the fort, but when the situation seems hopeless, the army returns and the Indians are expelled.
A pioneer caravan is attacked by Indians, who greatly outnumber the pale faces. The whole party are massacred, with the exception of a year-and-one-half old baby, who being hidden by its mother, escapes detection. Whitey is a big, bashful cowpuncher, who secretly worships at the shrine of the only eligible woman in camp, a buxom widow.
Black La Rue was born on the Mexican border in times of raids and fights. His father was killed in one of the fights. The circumstances of his birth have in some strange way affected his character so that he can never see a fight without having an irresistible desire to join the fray.
Three pals, Reid, Neilan and Kirkland breast the breakers of their roving life with but one condition of creed, nothing was to come between them to sever or impair the sincerity of their ties of friendship. Regardless of what extremity of life they encountered, they religiously respect their one law of sharing alike; that is, until the fall of Sumter, when the call to arms invaded homes and divided brother against brother.
Helen is operator at Bells. Jerry McGuire, engineer on the local freight, and Tom Thornton, his fireman, are both rivals for the hand of the girl. Jerry is preferred and Tom tries to get Jerry to take to liquor again, a habit that he has overcome. Tom is unsuccessful.
Old man Wilson is much inclined to a liberal use of liquor. His daughter. Nell, is known and liked by all the cowboys of the surrounding ranches. Jack Harding is especially fond of Nell. Old man Wilson fears Jack. The manager of the ranch on which Jack works is negotiating with a livestock exchange relative to the sale of a bunch of horses, and accordingly, the buyer of the exchange, Neal Banning, arrives on the ground, accompanied by his daughter, to look over the stock. Jack finds the city-bred girl very fascinating, while she finds much to admire in the young cowboy. The two take many rides together, in which Jack explains the country and the business of the livestock people to the girl. Nell notices the growing intimacy between the two, and is very down-hearted over it.
As the freight train on which are riding Mike and Leary, two knights of the road, passes the station at Hynes, the tramps steal the mail bag which had been placed on the crane by the postmaster of that place. They jump from the train in a secluded spot and start to rifle the bag.
A re-enactment of Gen. Sheridan's ride from Winchester Cedar Creek to rally retreating Union soldiers and defeat Gen. Early. A love story involving the general is also told.
When Indians attack a white settlement, a brave kidnaps a white baby to give to his wife as a replacement for their dead baby. The white mother goes to the Indian camp to look for her child and is captured by the Indians who plan to torture her. The settlers attack the Indian camp, destroying it completely and killing the braves, while the Indian wife returns the baby to the white woman and allows her to escape. The Indian wife mourns her baby at its grave, unaware of the destruction of the Indian camp.
An indian girl brings military relief to the besieged cabin because of her gratitude to the white man who befriended her.
The Drifter is a 1917 Western short.
The sheriff of the county is elected by men who call him the "squarest sheriff alive." Panchita Garcia, the flower of the town, loved by all, leaves home for a walk, passing through the town, where all the cowboys come out to meet her. "Bad" Pedro, a native, sees her and follows. He overtakes her and tries to kiss her. The sheriff, who has been passing by and has given Pedro's wife money to buy food for the starving children, hears her and runs to her assistance.
