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The Fighting Trail Synopsis

No Defense Synopsis

Mrs. Austin is a penniless society matron whose only hope is in a wealthy marriage for her daughter, Ethel, who favors engineer John Manning while the mother prefers wealthy lawyer Frederick Apthorpe. Manning, determining to secure his position, leaves with Milton Hulst, a crooked lawyer, in search of gold in the North, secretly marrying Ethel before departing. Manning, Hulst, and a third partner, MacRoberts, strike it rich, but Hulst steals the gold and murders MacRoberts with Manning's revolver. Manning is arrested but escapes the police and is cared for by an Indian. Meanwhile Ethel marries Apthorpe, who has become district attorney; when Hulst tries to blackmail her with evidence of her previous marriage, Manning intervenes and Hulst is killed by Ethel. Manning confesses to the crime, is prosecuted by Apthorpe, and is sentenced to be hanged. When Apthorpe is elected governor, he refuses to keep his promise to pardon Manning until Ethel threatens to expose Apthorpe and kill herself. When Manning is freed, Ethel and Apthorpe separate and she is reunited with Manning.