During the Great War, a Negro corporal, Jericho Jackson, disobeys an order and saves crewmen trapped below deck after an attack. A sergeant dies in the incident; Jackson is court-martialed and sentenced to death. He bolts, and his captain unjustly gets a five-year sentence for aiding his escape; the captain vows to bring Jackson to justice. Meanwhile, Jackson has stolen a boat and sailed from Bordeaux to Morocco where his skills as a physician give him a new lease on life. He becomes a chief responsible for negotiating peace among tribes and leading the annual great salt caravan. A confrontation with his old captain is, however, unavoidable. Can there be justice?