In the hot sun of South America the hands employed by Hampton, an American ship owner and planter, are lazily whiling away their time when the planter unexpectedly appears upon the scene and reprimands the foreman for neglecting his duty and not urging the men to get the cargo aboard the boat that she may start her voyage on scheduled time. The foreman answers back angrily and is at once discharged by the planter. Embittered and embarrassed, the foreman decides upon revenge, which is more fully aroused when he sees his sweetheart talking to the planter, who seems to be attracted by the pretty Creole. While watching the loading of the vessel, a messenger arrives and hands the planter a message from an old friend, Captain Gillet, of the United States Cruiser, that he has just landed his steamship in port and will take dinner with him. The Captain and the planter are seated in the latter’s garden, and while smoking and talking, Paola, the pretty Creole whom we saw in the first scene, passes by the house. The Captain urges his friend to go speak to her, while he waits for his return. Hampton goes to her and they walk out in the grove for some distance. The discharged foreman, with murder in his heart, is watching the lovers from behind a tree, and, unobserved, shoots the girl in the back. While the planter goes for help, the foreman rushes forward and throws the pistol beside the prostrate girl, then runs for the guards, with whom he returns and accuses the planter of having shot her, pointing to the pistol as evidence. The planter is arrested and put in jail. Paola is carried to her home and placed under the care of a nurse. The foreman spreads the news of the attempted murder by the American planter, and then arouses his countrymen to hatred and vengeance against him. He then leads the mob to the jail, where they overcome the guards and take the American out to shoot him. Paola hears from her nurse of the plight of her lover. She insists upon getting out of her bed and going to his rescue. Sick and weak, with tottering steps, she hastens to tell Captain Gillet of Hampton’s danger. The Captain sends a messenger in all speed to the American Consul, who gives orders to the Captain to save the planter at all cost. With the American flag the Consul jumps in his automobile and starts for the place where the mob are preparing to shoot their victim. The Captain of the cruiser, with a company of marines, goes to the rescue, two able-bodied seamen carrying Paola. They arrive in time to place the flag across the breast of Hampton and defy the mob to shoot at their own peril. The crowd falls back in awe, and before they can recover themselves they are driven off by the Captain and his men. Hampton is released and clasps Paola in his arms amid shouts of the boys in blue and white.