 In 1728, while hunting ducks, Dick Lindsay comes across a pirate named Francis Barclay burying a treasure-chest. Barclay and his lieutenant, Burford, take Lindsay prisoner aboard their ship, the Black Panther. Barclay decides to use Lindsay to infiltrate the fortified island of his bitter enemy, Andrew MacAllister. (Twenty-one years ago MacAllister abducted Barclay s wife and daughter and sold Barclay into slavery.) Barclay has a scar burned into Lindsay s face so that he ll resemble MacAllister s nephew. Barclay then arranges for Lindsay to be washed up on MacAllister s island. MacAllister, who hasn t seen his nephew for 20 years, accepts Lindsay s false identity. However, while Lindsay is supposed to pave the way for Barclay s invasion of the island, he becomes sidetracked by a rebellion among MacAllister s slaves and by his growing attraction to MacAllister s beautiful daughter, Christine.