When beautiful Salomy Jane resists the romantic advances of a young ruffian, she is rescued by Jack Dart, who has his own additional reasons for tangling with the man. Jack fights the ruffian and kills him. He escapes with the law on his trail, for it is (wrongly) presumed that he is also the man who held up the stagecoach. Salomy Jane comes to his rescue when he is captured and about to be lynched.
The Count and Countess Bertrand are prominent in society. The Count is also a lieutenant. The throw a society circus and part of the entertainment is ring master and circus rider Alexander Ivanoff. But in reality Ivanoff is a spy, and with the aid of his wife he steals some documents from the Count which involve the mobilization of troops. When the papers turn up missing Bertrand is court martialed and sent to prison for a 12-year sentence.
The circus comes to town, and the town's orphans are treated to a day at the circus. The circus troupe's 'Jinx' girl causes so many problems for the performers and performances that, to escape punishment, she has to run away. She mingles with the orphans and runs away to join an orphanage.
