This picture, written by William C. De Mille (Cecil B. De Mille's brother) and Marion Fairfax, bases its premise on the troubles actually encountered in a Colorado mine in 1914. A group of miners who live on company property are mistreated by the guards. They are powerless against this, as anyone who complains becomes blacklisted. One guard insults Vera Maroff (Blanche Sweet), the mine's schoolteacher, inspiring the wrath of one of the miners. He attacks the guard and is shot dead without any repercussions for the guard. This is the last straw for the miners, who begin to organize. The company president, Warren Harcourt (Charles Clary) arrives, and when he refuses to concede to the miner's demands, they call a strike. The superintendent makes sure that the miners are evicted, and there is a furious battle between the miners and the strike breakers. The strikers decide to kill the president, and everyone draws lots to see who gets the assignment. The task falls to Vera, who has fallen in love with Harcourt and vice versa. She shows up at the president's office with two bullets -- one for him and one for herself. But she only wounds him, and the other bullet discharges wildly. Harcourt recovers from his injury, and he comes to realize what is really going on in the mine. He gives the miners what they want, and after he marries Vera, they oversee the mine's activities together.
by Janiss Garza
synopsis
