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Explorer Alec McKenzie (Lou Tellegen) works for the King. On his next expedition through Africa, his fiancee, Lucy Allerton (Dorothy Davenport), begs him to take her shiftless brother, George (Tom Forman), along. The trek is supposed to make a man of him, but instead Allerton gets everyone in trouble by attacking a native girl and shooting one of the tribesmen who tries to save her. The tribe is ready to declare war and the party is compelled to leave quickly. George, who finally realizes just what a cad he is, volunteers to stay behind to cover up their retreat. Thus his death is fairly honorable. When McKenzie returns to England, he refuses to explain the circumstances of George's death to Lucy and this causes a rift. But the expedition's doctor (James Neil) tells her everything, including the fact that McKenzie tried to hide her brother's scandalous ways. She forgives her fiancé and they are reunited. The scenario to this picturization of the W. Somerset Maugham novel was written by William C. DeMille, elder brother of director Cecil B..