This magnificent historical adventure novel takes place in the 1760s–1780s in southwestern Scotland, as well as in Cumberland (England), Holland, and India. The novel tells the story of Harry Bertram, who was kidnapped in childhood by smugglers because he had witnessed the murder of a customs officer.
The novel is devoted to Harry’s adventures and the fate of his family in the years that followed, as well as the struggle over the inheritance of his estate. It also depicts the lawlessness that reigned at the time, when smugglers had spread their activities all along the coast and thieves plagued the roads.