Vanni Lupo, a young villager, returning from a hunt with Baron Torrie, is introduced to the Baron’s beautiful daughter, Minerva. A feeling of mutual attraction immediately springs up between them. Remembering her desire for a live pheasant, he is about to trap one when he is confronted by a gamekeeper. In his attempt to wrest the bird from Vanni, the gamekeeper is mortally wounded. Hardly had Vanni presented Minerva with the gift, when two officers appear with a warrant for his arrest on the charge of murder. Vanni seizes an opportunity to over-power the officers and makes his escape to the mountains. Incensed at the killing of the gamekeeper and provoked at the failure of the police to cause Vanni’s arrest, the populace is only too ready to bring the guilty one to justice when a reward of $5,000 is offered for his capture, dead or alive. Lending a deaf ear to all precautions, he goes into the village under cover of darkness and places bouquets on the ledge of his sweetheart’s window. One day he is discovered by a couple of goat-herders, who immediately notify the townspeople. A posse is quickly formed and a vehement vengeance is their plan. Minerva learns of this and, prompted by her love for him, she throws on her cape and determines to reach him before the posse arrives. The race is on! Although Minerva has chosen the more hazardous route, she courageously wins. She crawls to the entrance of the cave where her cry is heard by Vanni. He tenderly picks her up and carries her into the cave where she is revived, but, almost at the same time, he learns of his own predicament. Fumes of smoke soon penetrate the place and Vanni realizes he is caught in a trap. He runs to an exit in the cave where he can look out upon his captors. He frantically appeals to them, telling of the presence of Minerva, the daughter of the Baron Torrie, in the cave. They assure him her safety, but he must not escape and to save the life of the woman he loves, he complies with their demand and jumps from the cliff onto the rocks of the chasm below, and into eternity,