A Playboy inherits a Western ranch on the condition that he shall run it properly for 6 months. A villain makes an attempt to distract him from reaching the goal, but he, no longer the wastrel of yore, persists and becomes full owner of the property.
The Desire of the Moth is a 1917 American silent western film directed by Rupert Julian
Following his mother's death, John Gregory becomes the "Eagle," a thief determined to get even with the mining company that stole his family's fortune. Breaking into the company’s head office he discovers that another robber has preceded him and killed the night guard. When he is falsely accused, Lucy the girl he loves, discovers a written confession from the real killer just before John is to be hanged and rides wildly to the jail to save his life.
A story of greed and lust driven by gold fever. Rapacious Kate Kent abandons her daughter Betty to run off with Tom Romaine, her husband’s killer during the Gold Rush. A quindecinnial later Betty heads to California and partners with Tennessee, a freind of her father’s, in the Golden Princess Mine. Kate and Romaine try and dupe Betty into believing he is Betty’s father to get control of her portion, but Tennessee reveals the truth and after an attempt on their lives all works out as it should.
Miner Dan Stuyvesant finally strikes it rich, but on his way to report his claim, he is shot. When Jack Dedlow, the head of a gang of outlaws, hears this news, he rides to Stuyvesant's cabin intending to secure the claim for himself. There the outlaws find Stuyvesant's daughter Hilda, the sweetheart of Tom Flynn, and are about to draw cards for her when Dago Sam pulls out his guns and spirits her out the door. Because Tom is his only friend, Sam determines to protect Hilda from the gang, but when Tom suspiciously questions his intentions toward Hilda, Sam decides to live up to the town's poor opinion of him.
Jack Darling of the North West Mounted Police is ordered to track down and arrest murderer Alec Young, whose girl, Dancing Pete, performs in the Nugget dance hall. En route to Nugget, Jack meets Hope Ross, who is caring for her sister's baby. Although the two fall in love, the outlook for a happy romance appears hopeless, because he believes that she is a married mother, and she thinks that he is an outlaw.
Returning to House of a Thousand Candles a mystery unfolds involving two lookalike girls...or is there only one very crafty one?
Drifters Tom Williams and Joe Morgan have a chance meeting with the sheriff's daughter and learn that her brother Jim is being held prisoner in Line Hollow by Wolf, who aspires to be the next sheriff. They aid the sheriff in finding the outlaw gang and rescuing Jim. Tom decides to stop drifting and stay near the sheriff's daughter.
War hero Captain November Jones tries to sneak into his hometown of Gold City, Nevada undetected but when he rescues a child from being run over by a train he’s recognized and obliged to receive the town's congratulations. Meanwhile, unscrupulous stockbroker Samuel Barnes and adventuress Teddy Craig are trying to get control of the Bluebird Lode from New Yorker Jackson J. Joseph, who is coming West to meet his daughter Nedra. Teddy tries to ensnare November to help fight Joseph, claiming he's trying to take her mine, but he refuses. Teddy's accusation of Jones's cowardice does not bother him until he falls in love with Nedra, who shuns him, believing Teddy's rumor. When Mr. Joseph is kidnapped and Jones saves him Nedra learns the truth and agrees to marry him.
A dying prospector tells "Peters the Pacific" about a mine he has discovered for "the mate's girl" and the ambush he has been set upon by mine jumpers, and gives Peters the location of the mine. In town, Peters uncovers the corrupt dealings of a dance hall owner, Jim Blalock, and Peter Hunter.
Evelyn Nelson portrays the character Frances Powell in this story that centers on themes of justice and personal vendettas in the old West.
Esteban, a white boy, is raised by an Indian squaw, who believes she is his mother and from whom Beaugard steals the papers documenting Esteban's birth and his right to inherit a ranch. When he grows up, Esteban falls in love with Patricia Benton, Beaugard "exposes" Esteban to Patricia, and the villain taunts the boy, telling him that he has no right to a white woman.
Jack Hardy, Sr. sends his son, Jack Hardy Jr., to the American West to "make a man of him" and instill a sense of responsibility. While West, Jack falls in love with Miss Benson, a ranch secretary. To prove his bravery to her after being taunted, Jack successfully breaks a notoriously unmanageable horse. The local villain, Tex Fuller, and his gang target Jack. In a tragic turn, Jack’s half-breed brother, Deerfoot, is killed by a missile intended for Jack. Jack eventually confronts the gang, bringing them to justice and vindicating himself in the eyes of his father and Miss Benson.
Sheriff Jefferson Mosby is sent to Cactus Flats, Nevada, to combat outlaws harassing local homesteaders. After discovering the town's mayor is leading the criminals, Mosby uses disguises to infiltrate the gang, capture them, and restore order with the help of residents Molly and Danny.
A minister and his young daughter Bess, journey west where he hopes to regain his health. They become involved with notorious outlaw 'Eagle' Ryan. The outlaw becomes influenced by the power of religion along with Bess's gentle persuasion, he is reformed from his life of crime and forgiven by all the townspeople.
Ranger Job "Blue Streak" McCoy helps a miner and his pretty young daughter who are trying to protect their valuable mine from a gang leader who wants to take it.
Engineer Joe Dayton faces sabotage while constructing a railroad through the Canadian Northwest. Local bandit leader Jacques Durand attempts to stop the project, fearing it will bring law and order. Complicating matters, Dayton and Durand are look-alike doppelgangers.
Jack Stokes is Sheriff Lamar's right-hand man. Mrs. Lamar receives a threatening letter from a gambler. He threatens to expose her past life if she does not convince the sheriff to let him gamble freely. Jack overhears the conversation. In the ensuing fight, the gambler is accidentally killed. His gang tries to lynch Jack.
For Nita Valyez, who is half-Spanish and half-Irish, Carlos represents potential violence and danger, two things to which she is both attracted and repelled. In contrast, she has only a passing interest in Big Jim, the town's honest, good-hearted sheriff. Then, after Carlos kills a faro dealer, he forces Nita to make an escape with him.
As a baby, John Ermine is stolen from a wagon train by the Crow Indians and is adopted by Chief Fire Bear. John grows to manhood, ignorant that he is a white man until his parentage is disclosed to him by Crooked Bear, a white hermit who is on friendly terms with the Crows. Crooked Bear teaches John the language and customs of the white man's civilization, impressing upon him that it is his sacred responsibility to keep peace between the white men and the Indians.