The plot concerns Quatermain as a young man and involves his first marriage, to the Boer farm girl, Marie Marais.

Fifteen miles from the Mission station where Allan and his father, who is a church of England clergyman, live, there resides a Boer called Henry Marais, who has a young daughter named Marie.

Allan and Marie meet when they are given a tutor called Monsieur Leblanc who teaches them French language and other subjects.

What starts as a childhood friendship slowly grows into a fully fledged love and deep affection, much to the chagrin of Marie's father, who tries everything within his power to separate them.

Though with initial success, with their supply of gunpowder dwindling, and almost losing the fight, they almost commit suicide when Henry Marais comes with other Boers from other camps and fires at the red Kaffirs thus bringing the matter to a happy conclusion.

Overtaken by hunger and fever, Marie writes a letter to Allan, who organizes himself, says goodbye to his father, and goes to their rescue with a good supply of food and other necessary provisions.

He tells Allan to shoot three of five vultures with his gun to prove his magic and all his companions will be left to go free, something which he does, thus saving Marie's life for yet another time.

Allan returns to his home and finds Marie weeping by the river where she had gone to draw water, wearing the robes of mourning.