As described in a film magazine,[3] a forest ranger known only as Headin' South (Fairbanks) goes forth in search of Spanish Joe (Campeau), a Mexican responsible for most of the treachery and outlawry along the U.S.-Mexican border. Headin' South gains quite a reputation as he goes along and finally believes himself worthy of joining Joe's band. in a whirlwind finish in which Joe is captured, Headin' South meets one of Joe's near victims (MacDonald) and falls in love with her.
Like many American films of the time, Headin' South was subject to cuts by city and state film censorship boards. For example, the Chicago Board of Censors, in Reel 1, cut two scenes of shooting and men falling, shooting homesteader and his falling at wagon, ten scenes of shooting at town, man at stairway being shot and falling dead, Reel 2, view of coin, Reel 4, the four intertitles "I've a scheme to get them away from the women, that leaves the choice to us", "There are fifteen women and a hundred men—how can we divide them?", "Let's have a race around the cactus, the first fifteen back will have the pick", and "We'll have the first pick while their gone", two scenes of Mexicans shooting up town, Reel 5, fifteen shooting scenes in which men fall, two intertitles "Where are the women" and "In the church", and all scenes of dead men and horses.[4]
