This magnificent historical adventure novel takes place in the 1760s-1780s in the south-west of Scotland, as well as in Cumberland (England), Holland, India. The novel describes the story of Harry Bertram, who was kidnapped as a child by smugglers because he witnessed the murder of a customs officer. The novel focuses on Henry's adventures, the fate of his family in later years, and the struggles surrounding the inheritance of his estate. The novel also describes the lawlessness that reigned at a time when smugglers developed their activities along the entire coast, and thieves on the roads.