Conflict
Pat Glendon (Wayne) is a former lumberjack turned bare-knuckle boxer who travels the countryside as part of gambling scam operated by Gus "Knockout" Carrigan for a New York City syndicate. Glendon arrives ahead of the travelling boxing exhibition, building the confidence of the locals who in turn bet on Glendon to win, only to have him throw the fight.
The gambling circuit leads Glendon to Cedar City, a west coast lumber town where he soon finds himself a job as a lumberjack and becoming part of the community. At the lumberjack picnic Glendon fights and defeats "Ruffhouse" Kelly (Woods) a burly man from a rival lumbering camp. The town folk agree that Glendon is the one to represent them in the boxing exhibition soon to hit town.
While in Cedar City, Glendon saves the life of the runaway orphan, Tommy (Tuppin), who befriends the boxer and acts as his "trainer" and is unofficially adopted by him. Maude Sangster (Rogers) a reporter pretending to be a social worker from San Francisco sent to Cedar City to expose the boxing scam, befriends Glendon and the orphan Tommy.
Conscience gets the better of Glendon, and on the day of the rigged fight against Carrigan, Glendon tells him that he won't throw the fight. He tells Carrigan that the Cedar City lumberjacks are his friends and he doesn't want to scam them out of their hard earned money. In a hard fought, honest match, Glendon prevails and also wins the heart of the girl.
romantic, murder