A Native American woman named Cherokee Sal dies while giving birth to a baby boy, later named Tommy Luck, in a poor California mining town called Roaring Camp. With no other female, it is up to the rough and tough men of the town to take care of it, mainly Stumpy and Kentuck. However, the baby has a groundbreaking effect on the men and the prosperity of the town. Soon, the men become more civilized and sober, but it all ends during a devastating winter flood.
with a freak flood which destroys the settlement. The next morning, the survivors find Kentuck with the dead child in his arms. With a smile, he accompanies the spirit of Tommy Luck into the unknown.