Thrill-seeker Billy Smith joins a tent show and meets aspiring novelist Tena Lucian in a small Kentucky town. Because her mother, Widow Lucian, requires an operation to restore her sight, Billy agrees to fight heavyweight boxer Slugger Sampson, who is offering $500 to anyone who can remain in the ring with him for three rounds. Although Slugger's fights are fixed, the town sheriff outsmarts the boxer by insisting on holding the money until the end of the bout. Billy wins the fight, along with the prize money and Tena's love.