The voyage of the "Minnehaha" ends in disaster, and everyone, with the exception of Captain Barker, his daughter Elizabeth, and the mate, Bill, perish. These three are picked up by the whaler "Dakota." Bill, the mate, who is infatuated with Elizabeth, and is half-crazy from exposure, becomes insanely and unreasonably jealous of Capt. Treavor of the "Dakota." He accosts Elizabeth in a way which compels her to ask the captain for assistance. Later, a whale is sighted, and Bill, who is mutinous, is disciplined, and made to work with the crew. At his first opportunity, he jumps overboard and swims back to the vessel. There, he easily overpowers the remainder of the crew by taking them unawares and orders the ship to be put under way. He forces his attention on Elizabeth again, who, by telling him she loves him, succeeds in escaping from the cabin. Once out, she releases her father with the help of the crew, and retakes the ship. Bill arrives on the scene too late to prevent the release of Capt. Barker, and is himself captured and bound with ropes. And so the night passes. The next day, Elizabeth shows her grit by taking the ship into her own hands, and guides it back to the deserted boat, containing Capt. Treavor and his men. Explanations follow; Bill, now thoroughly crazy, is taken from the cubby and confined forward, and the men give rousing cheers of thanksgiving for preservation from an untimely death.