The Despoiler: Wealthy miner, Ben Cameron's son, Bruce, becomes the criminal "The Shadow" after being disinherited for spendthrift ways and theft. "The Shadow" attempts to extort money from Mary, Cameron's former love who is married to a struggling bookkeeper. Eventually he is shot and killed by his father, Ben, during a confrontation over the extortion attempt. In the end, Cameron collapses in grief, while Mary and her husband remain unaware of the dramatic events.