Bulgaria is under Ottoman bondage. Under the protection of the Turk Ali Chaush the wealthy usurer, Hristo has a hold over the local people. Tzveta, the usurer's niece comes across an equestrian with a face hidden behind a kerchief. The young artist Boyan declares his love to Tzveta. His manners are refined and he is intelligent. However, the girl's thought are preoccupied with the mysterious stranger. No one knows him, no one has seen his face but he always turns up where there is injustice. His nickname is Halata (The Storm). Tzveta meets Halata again. He is wounded and while dressing his hand she notices a small scar on it. The artist Boyan paints a portrait of Tzveta. While he is wiping the paint of his hands, she spots the familiar scar and realizes that Boyan and Halata is the same person. The two embrace. Hristo and Ali Chaush are alarmed by the activities of the unknown avenger, which awake the national awareness of the people. The artist is detained and locked up.