The president of an Australian detective agency offers the services of their best man Henry King to the southwest coast police of California, who have been baffled by the many daring crimes committed by a gang of the underworld. Mr. King arrives in America, and upon the day of his arrival the most daring crime ever heard of is committed. Miss Dorothy Stevens is kidnapped in broad daylight in her automobile. The chauffeur was found drugged in an alley. Mr. King decides not to report this crime to the police, as to be seen with them might hinder him in his work, so he starts on the case alone. He spots his man, “Smiley Randel,” holds him up, and thereby gaining his confidence, joins the gang as a first-class hold-up man. When he has located Miss Stevens, and about to get her away, Madge Burke does a clever piece of work and upsets his plans. He is bound and thrown into a room but upon rolling toward the door overhears the plans of the gang, namely, to leave the port on the schooner Blanche that night. He finds a mirror, and by throwing a mirror into a policeman’s eyes, attracts his attention and gets him to come to the window. Writes a note, drops it down to him, thereby telling him of their plans, and to have a police-boat at the end of pier 21 and to watch out for the Blanche. That night he succeeds in freeing himself out of the room. He swims across the bay, secrets himself on the Blanche before the gang arrive. As the Blanche is making her way out of the harbor the police boat starts in pursuit and a battle ensues. Detective King takes Miss Stevens in his arms and jumps overboard. They are in turn picked up by the police boat and capture the fugitives. Miss Stevens is greatly surprised the next day by receiving a call from Detective King, of Australia, who proves to be the man who aided her in her escape and whom she thought was a member of the gang. After a short conversation with Miss Stevens, Mr. King decides to cancel his passage back to Australia, and remains in America indefinitely.