The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Sir Edward May, having just completed an important treaty, leaves it with his secretary, Cyril Courtney, to safely deposit in the safe. He is just about to do so when the chief’s daughter enters the office and requests him to escort her on one of her many missions of mercy to a poor cottage in the village. As they pass through the park gates they are accosted by Paul Koffman, a foreign spy, who has come over with instructions to obtain possession of the treaty at all costs or at least a copy of it. Cyril Courtney and Miss May proceed to the cottage of a Mrs. Drake, an invalid, whose only son has on more than one occasion been warned for poaching. After their return Courtney takes the opportunity to propose to May, but is refused. Paul Koffman, with two confederates, consider the best method of securing the treaty or gain an entrance to the house in order to copy it, and a clever but dastardly plan is arranged. By watching the house for many days they learn that the secretary’s daughter daily goes on the river unaccompanied. Their plan is that while Koffman poses on the bank as an artist one of his confederates should purposely row into Miss May’s punt, causing a supposed accident. Koffman, who is a very strong swimmer, takes the opportunity of rescuing the girl, whom he lands at the steps leading to the river of her own house, terribly unnerved by her experience. The grateful parent invites the rescuer to dinner, which fact Koffman communicates to his companions in crime and an immediate action is decided upon. A meeting at night is arranged in a lonely part of the woods adjoining the house in an old disused shed and Koffman armed with a very strong drug and hand camera sets out to keep the appointment. Young Drake, whose poaching habits have taken him to the same spot, overhears their plans and carefully watches Koffman start for the house, but in his anxiety to learn more betrays his presence and receives a wound in the head which renders him unconscious. Knowing their conversation has been overheard by Drake, they drag him into the hut, bind him securely on an old table, set fire to the place, make good their escape, leaving their victim at the mercy of the raging fire. Koffman is entertained royally at dinner, where May listens to his many tales of adventure with admiration, but the expression of Courtney’s face betrays his inner feelings of mistrust and dislike to the visitor. She leaves the gentlemen to take coffee alone and Courtney under the excuse of feeling drowsy walks into the grounds. In deep thought at the disappointment he had received by Miss May’s refusal earlier in the day he wanders by the river and across the old bridge, in an aimless manner, when suddenly his attention is attracted by the smoke from the burning hut. With all speed he hastens to the fire, where on bursting the door he discovers Drake unconscious and within an ace of death. Severing the ropes he carries the victim into safety and only has time to hand him to the gamekeepers who have now arrived on the scene when he himself becomes overpowered by the smoke. He soon recovers and directs the wounded man should be lifted tenderly on an improvised stretcher and carried to the house, but their journey is intercepted by the butler who informs them that their master has been taken suddenly ill in a mysterious manner and that all attempts to rouse him from the sleep that he appears to be in has proved fruitless. Leaving the keepers to slowly make their way to the house, he hastens on to the library where he finds Miss May prostrated with grief over the body of her unconscious father, and the visitor vanished. The police are summoned and they learn from Drake, who has sufficiently recovered to tell his story, that the secretary’s coffee has been drugged, his keys taken from his pocket, the treaty removed from the safe and been copied by flashlight photography. During the conversation at dinner Koffman had given his experience while flying, also the address of the Aerodrome where his machine is kept, and the police acting on this clue decide to carefully watch the establishment. In the meantime Koffman and his men are busy developing the film which proves a great success when a telegram arrives informing them that the copy must be delivered within twenty-four hours or it will be useless, and they decide to use the aeroplane to carry out these instructions. Koffman manages to get away just as the police arrive, but his accomplices are captured. Courtney, who is himself an experienced pilot, charters the fastest machine possible, determined to give chase. He loses no time and soon locates his man. A terrible race between the two airships takes place and shots are exchanged in mid-air, which ends in Courtney hitting the petrol tank of Koffman’s machine, but the latter again escapes by means of his parachute. Both land in the same field, but Koffman on being chased holds up a motor car which he enters and at the point of his revolver compels the driver to put on all speed. Courtney has been so far successful in bringing his man to earth, but is without means of following the fast disappearing car until he notices a horse grazing in a neighboring field. Quickly mounting he gives chase, but each mile increases the distance between them, and the animal cannot stand the strain. Courtney is about to give up the chase when he sees a motorcycle stand outside a country inn. Dismounting the horse, he commandeers the cycle and is well after his man before anyone has realized what has taken place, and setting the engine at full speed, settles down to a more evenly contested chase. As the cycle nears the car shots are frequently exchanged, but without result, and it is evident that the cycle is quickly gaining ground. Koffman by threats compels the driver to put on more speed which, however, proves fatal, as on turning a sharp bend in the road the car mounts the bank and is overturned. Courtney sees what has occurred and slows up. Reaching the spot the sickening sight of two dead bodies meets his gaze. Farm hands render assistance to remove the debris while Courtney with the film, which is still wet, in his possession, returns to his anxious chief. Here he has to give a very full detailed account to Sir Edward and his daughter of his many adventures in order to get possession of the film, but the former’s thanks are completely lost to Courtney when Miss May with outstretched hands murmurs, “Forgive me.”