King, the detective, is sent to try to capture some opium smugglers that are operating in a seaport town. He arrives at the place and disguises himself in rough clothes and mixes with the fishermen. One day while walking along the shore, King sees a little boy and girl fighting. Rushing to separate them he reaches them just as a young lady does; she turns out to be their sister Jane. He accompanies them home and meets Jane's father and the bully who is very much in love with her. The bully is jealous of King on first sight and when King and bully meet at the saloon and dance hall, the bully starts a fight, but they are separated by the crowd. One night King is followed by the bully, who attacks him and knocks him there. The bully goes after his gang with the intention of getting them to help him do away with King; meanwhile the boy sees the bully run home and tells his sister. They run to the shed and unbind King and get him in a rowboat and he starts to row away as the bully and his gang discover that he has been released. The bully's gang deserts him and he goes looking for King alone. He sees him in the rowboat, weak and exhausted, and gets into another rowboat, catches King and chops a hole in his boat. Jane and her brother and sister are afraid to go home after the liberating of King and see the bully as he is on his way to their home. Jane sends the boy to follow him. The boy hears the bully tell the father what he has done to King. The boy rushes to tell his sister, they get a motor boat and rescue King just as his boat is about to sink. The bully and his gang are afterwards arrested as the opium smugglers, and all ends happily with Jane in love with King.
—Moving Picture World synopsis