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The year is 1853 and Ralph Hartsook (Henry Hull) arrives in the Indiana town of Flat Creek to teach school. He boards with the Means family and becomes fast friends with Bud Means (Nat Pendleton). He also falls in love with Hannah Thompson (Jane Thomas), an orphan who is "bound out" (basically, handed over as slave labor) to Old Miss Means (Mary Foy). There have been a number of robberies in the little village and the thieves have cast suspicion on Pearson, an old veteran. Because Hartsook helps Pearson out, he is believed to be the leader of the robbers and a mob threatens to lynch him. Hartsook, however, demands that Squire Hawkins (George Pelzer) give him a fair trial. Things still look bad for the schoolmaster until Bud finds out that Dr. Small (Frank Dane) is really the gang leader and that Pete Jones -- who has been working against Hartsook -- is also one of the robbers. Bud forces the doctor's assistant to tell the truth, and Hartsook is freed. Hannah has reached legal age, so her term with the Means is over and she can wed Hartsook.