Orphaned Barbara (Banky) has been raised by rancher Jefferson Worth (Lane), whose dream is to irrigate the desert. She's in love with foreman Abe Lee (young and gorgeous Cooper) until Willard Holmes (Colman) comes to town. Holmes is an engineer who has been hired by a land speculator to dam the local river but the speculator cheats the ranchers and uses cheap materials on the dam, setting up a spectacular disaster that has Holmes and Lee joining forces. King filmed on location in Nevada. Based on the novel by Harold Bell Wright.