There used to be a tradition of "family feud" in the United States. Mackay and Cornfield are two families that have been feuding for generations. In 1810, John Mackay and James Cornfield exchanged fire in a rainy night and both died. In order to let his son get rid of the feud, John's widow took the youngest son to live in New York, while James' father vowed to take revenge by raising the two grandchildren.
Twenty years later, Willie Mackay (Buster Keaton) grows up and wants to rush back home to inherit his father's legacy. A fellow girl, Virginia, becomes friends. When Willie arrived at the destination, he visited Virginia's house, and the girl was actually the youngest daughter of the Cornfield family. Virginia's two brothers wanted to harm Willie after knowing his identity, but "Our Hospitality" Traditions kept them from starting at home, so Willie Lai stayed at Cornfield's home to protect himself.
