In which a stranger in San Francisco roams its shadowy quarters and ports, mingling with a motley array of characters—from slum dwellers to South Sea traders—and becomes drawn to the enigmatic island world beyond the Pacific. Amidst these wanderings, he encounters tales of maritime violence and the wretched plight of a ship’s crew, culminating in a vivid meeting with a haunted captain whose restless fear marks the threshold of a deeper adventure.