A sailor returns home from a voyage and is met by a letter telling him to hurry, for there is a new baby to be seen and a sick wife to be cheered up. His companions insist upon drinking to the newcomer’s health and in spite of his protests the sailor is forced to join them. Unused to liquor, the fumes enter his head and the seamen leave the young fellow sleeping. A schooner is short of men and a professional shanghaier sees the sailor, and getting him into an inner room, opens a trap and drops him into the waiting boat and takes him aboard the schooner. In the meantime the poor wife, unable to work, grieves over his non-arrival and worries, while the little lame boy goes out and sells newspapers to hold the home together and get enough to eat. The shanghaier returns and while fingering the gold earned by his nefarious transaction is asked to buy a paper by a little lame boy. The man’s one sensitive spot is children. He asks the boy why he is selling papers and learns all about the sick mother and the new baby. He asks the boy’s name and starts as he hears it, and takes the papers from his pocket which he took from the sailor. He reads the pathetic letter and the right chord is touched. He tells the boy to go home and inform his mother that father will be there soon. He also gives the boy some money and sends the little fellow away with a glad heart. Stirred to action (for the schooner is departing), the man, with new resolutions in his heart, searches for a launch and overtakes the schooner. He gets aboard, and, offering the money back to the captain and making an explanation, he asks for the return of the sailor. The captain laughs at him. The sailor comes up, there is a desperate fight and the two men go overboard, the crook being badly wounded. They are picked up by the launch and the sailor takes the wounded man home with him. Jack leaves the money paid him by the sea-captain on the table, and goes out wounded and alone a better man, determined to give up the nefarious trade forever.