Clay, spending his vacation at a fishermen's settlement, meets and falls in love with Ethel Penn, the daughter of a large family. Rufe Brown, a native of the village and accepted suitor by her parents of our heroine, soon learns of his rival's progress and proceeds by threats and abuse to discourage any attempt on Clay's part to win from him the prize he has coveted for years. But Ethel is not so easily cowed by her parents' commends and the threats of the now thoroughly detested Rufe. She makes up her mind to elope with her sweetheart, and after the marriage is culminated to forever shake the dust of Seaview from her feet. On her way to the post office to mail a letter, arranging a meeting with her lover, she encounters her burly suitor, Rufe, who demands to know upon what errand she is bent. She attempts to pass him when he snatches the letter from her hand and reads the address. Cursing his fortunate rival and heaping dire threats upon the head of the helpless girl, he rushes away to inform her parents of what he has learned. Old man Dean is infuriated at his daughter's choler and advises Rufe to hunt up his rival and administer to him a sound thrashing, confident that the young city chap would beat a hasty retreat and thus become ridiculous in the eyes of the deluded girl. Acting upon this suggestion, and accompanied by the old man and two younger brothers of Ethel, he goes to Clay's boarding house and calls him out. They all repair to the outskirts of the village and there Rufe informs Clay that he intends to give him the "derndest lickin'" he ever had. Something happened, but to the complete surprise and sorrow of the village bully, the outcome was far different from what he had anticipated. Fearing to encounter his now feared rival alone he secures the aid of a rough companion, and together they lie in wait for their victim. The evening shades are fast falling when Clay and Ethel are seen walking along the sandy beach. Two figures come skulking out of the gloom, and sneaking up behind the unsuspecting couple, the girl is seized, and Clay is hurled unconscious to the ground. Hastily raising the limp form of his hated rival, Rufe carries him to a small rowboat and placing his insensible victim in the frail shell he pushes it out into the waves, where the wind quickly seizes it and carries it out to sea. Returning to the girl, the two ruffians drag her to an old warehouse, w here the dissolute companion of the villainous Rufe makes his home. In order to divert suspicion from themselves, the two partners in crime try to induce Ethel to write a letter informing her parents that she has eloped with her lover, Clay. Her refusal to accede to their wishes causes them in resort to drastic measures. Opening a trapdoor to a slimy underground cellar below them, they lower the struggling girl by a rope into the awesome depths, and there leave her until by fright she is compelled to obey their instructions. Securing the letter he wanted and leaving her to be watched by his accomplice, the ruffian hurries to the old fisherman's house to apprise him of his daughter's disappearance. But what of our hero? His signal of distress is finally seen, and a life crew is soon plowing its way through the waves to his rescue. A fast row back to the land, and then a search is begun for the missing girl. Again we return to our heroine. The thought of escape comes to her mind. She first convinces herself that the scoundrel is asleep, then steals softly towards the outer door. Too late; the burly form of Rufe looms up before her. He seizes her in his arms, but in her frantic struggles the lamp is dashed to the floor, and before the villains have time to strike a match the girl has fled. With an oath, Rufe dashes through the door to follow her, but the girl is swift of foot and has almost reached her home when she runs into the arms of her lover, who, with a party of men, has been searching for her. Rufe also stumbles into their midst and is at once put under arrest. His subsequent trial and condemnation are shown, also the happy ending of Ethel and Clay's romance.