The Secret of Black Canyon

Dick Halsey returns to his hometown in order to sell a herd of cattle and becomes engaged to Dora Markham, his childhood sweetheart. While riding through town, Dick sees clouds of black smoke in the hills and goes to investigate, finding an unwatched still that has exploded. Dick also finds a trickle of oil coming from the earth, indicating that the land, which belongs to Dora's father, Judge Markham, has rich deposits of oil. Dick returns to town with a jug each of moonshine and crude oil and is arrested by the sheriff for moonshining. Alex Carr, who was operating the illegal still, discovers that it has been destroyed, and he also discovers the oil. Carr goes to Judge Markham and offers to buy the land, but the judge is unable to sell it until the following day, when the deed is cleared of a second mortgage. Dick is released from jail in the morning and races Carr to the bank, which holds the mortgage. Carr and Dick fight outside the bank, and Dick subdues him, turning him over to the sheriff as a bootlegger. Dick then secures the title to the judge's land, exchanging this right for a full interest in Dora.