A circus performer searches for the son his wife stole from him.

Captain Michael "Windy" O'Shaughnessy, the ace animal trainer in the Hastings Bros. Circus, loves his son "Stubby," but his sister-in-law, Martha Sheilds, convinces his wife Cora, a trapeze artist, that he is not fit to be her husband or the father of her child. Determined to separate Windy from Cora and Stubby, the cruel and prudish Martha arranges to have Cora steal Stubby away from his free-wheeling father and raise him in what she believes will be a more proper environment. When Windy realizes that his son is missing and that all his money has been taken, he single-mindedly devotes himself to finding Stubby. Desperate for extra money to pay for a private investigator to find his son, Windy agrees to perform a dangerous fire trick with a tiger. While in the cage with the tiger, however, Windy is distracted by thoughts of his son, and when the tiger attacks him, he loses his arm. After quitting the circus to search for his son, Windy becomes depressed and spends his days wandering through the streets in a daze. Years later, while riding in a parade, circus owner Hastings spots Windy and tells him that Cora had died in trapeze accident some time ago, and that Stubby has been placed in the care of an orphan's school. Stubby, now a grown boy, has been brainwashed by his aunt to hate his father, so when Windy arrives to take his son for a three-month visit, the boy resists him and cries. Although Windy showers his son with affection, Stubby acts coldly to him and blames him for his mother's death. The sulking Stubby attempts to escape from his father while traveling on a train, but Windy catches up with him and insists on knowing why he is so upset. In their discussion, Windy discovers that Martha has told Stubby many lies about him. Windy sets the boy straight and gradually gains the boy's acceptance and love. Time passes, and while Windy finds work doing odd jobs at the circus, Martha busily seeks legal recourse to get Stubby out of his father's custody. Major Winslow, Stubby's school principal, agrees with Martha's efforts to regain custody of the boy, and tells her that she is sure to succeed because of Windy's inability to hold down a steady job. Windy, meanwhile, pleads with Hastings to be allowed to return to his tiger act. With Stubby at his side, Windy gains enough confidence to make a successful comeback. Just prior to the animal trainer's big act, however, Martha arrives and forces Stubby to pack his bags for the journey home with her. Windy argues with Martha, but fails to resolve the situation before he is called to perform. However, when Stubby hears the roar of the crowd under the big top, he tears away from Martha and rushes to check on his father's safety. Stubby's presence gives Windy the confidence he needs to complete his fire trick, and following a superb performance, Stubby proudly insists on staying with his father.