- Jeremy Dice, a finisher in a New York East Side tailor shop who prides himself on being a smart dresser and dancer, proves to be cowardly when he retreats from a bully who gets fresh with his girl, and his employer discharges him. Deciding to go out west, Jeremy is caught hitching the rails and comes upon two outlaws in the desert disputing over booty; they are both killed in a shoot-out, and Jeremy is proclaimed a hero by the sheriff, but he is so frightened that he is unable to tell the truth. He is taken in by Welling, a wealthy rancher, and his daughter Mary, who develops an interest in him. When Jeremy's bravery is publicly discredited and Mary's name is slandered by one of the men, Jeremy lands a punch on the accuser's jaw, reestablishing his popularity and winning the admiration of Mary.—AFI
- Small and timid Jeremy Dice works at a tailor shop in New York City. His girlfriend is Dorothy. He takes her to a dance, where they win a silver cup for best couple. Then Dorothy's former boyfriend shows up and takes the cup from Jeremy. The young man is intimidated, and everyone present laughs at him. His boss fires him for being a coward. So Jeremy decides to head west.
Short on money, he rides aboard freight trains. But then he is robbed by two hobos. When Jeremy is discovered by the brakeman, the young man is tossed off the moving train. Jeremy makes his way to an abandoned shack, where he settles down to rest for the night. He is awakened when two men ride up to the shack. The pair, Lew Shaler and Arizona Pete, have just robbed a train. While Jeremy hides, the two outlaws quarrel over the stolen money, then get into a fight. Shaler shoots Pete and Pete crumples to the floor. Shaler hears Jeremy squeal and aims his gun at the young man. But Pete, in a dying act, shoots Shaler dead. Jeremy picks up Pete's gun, moments before Sheriff Lawrence and a posse arrive. The sheriff orders Jeremy to put up his hands, but then begins to assess the situation. Seeing the two dead outlaws and discovering that only two shots were fired, the Sheriff Lawrence concludes that Jeremy is a crack shot. Although Jeremy tries to explain the situation, the sheriff and posse think he is just being modest. They all ride to the nearby town of Divide, where Jeremy recuperates and is hailed as a hero.
A local rancher named Welling, whose son had been killed by Shaler, welcomes Jeremy into his home. Welling's daughter Mary cares for Jeremy, and he falls for her. Jeremy cannot bring himself to tell Mary the truth, so he decides to practice shooting to try to uphold his reputation. While he is shooting outdoors, Bronc Lewis and the local doctor ride by. The doctor tells Lewis that Jeremy is the one who killed the two outlaws. Lewis, who is Shaler's cousin, watches Jeremy and realizes he is a fake. Lewis confronts Sheriff Lawrence and tells him that Jeremy is a fraud, and that he will meet the "gunfighter" at six o'clock and settle the score. Meanwhile, Jeremy is practicing his gunplay when Sheriff Lawrence unexpectedly interrupts him. The sheriff is glad to see that Jeremy is in good form and tells him what Lewis said. Jeremy tries to get out of the duel, but the sheriff thinks the young fellow is joking around. He tells Jeremy that he will inform Lewis that the meeting is on.
Jeremy tells Mary he has to ride to Divide on business, but she suspects he is going there for a gunfight. Jeremy heads for the town, where Lewis is still deriding the young man and people are wagering on whether or not Jeremy will show up. Mary rides off after Jeremy. As the clock approaches six, the sheriff and others are uneasy because Jeremy has not shown up. Then Jeremy appears at a corner, and everyone scatters. Lewis watches confidently as Jeremy nervously approaches him. The two men are now face to face. Then Lewis makes a disparaging mark about Mary. Jeremy undergoes a transformation and strikes Lewis across the face. Both guns go off and Lewis falls to the ground dead. Ignoring the congratulations from the crowd, Jeremy hops on his horse and rides back to Mary. He meets her as she is riding into town. As they embrace, Mary makes Jeremy promise that he will never fight again.
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