Seeking to secure mining rights for tungsten in the North African desert, Sir Ronald Chatham is killed by a treacherous sheik, but his young son is rescued from the same fate by Sherrifa, an enigmatic Euorpean woman, who sacrifices her own life to save his. She leaves the youngster in the desert to be raised as a native by a spiritual mystic . He grows up under the old man`s influence alongside lions, earning the nickname of "The Lion Man" and gaining a reputation for integrity among the locals. After achieving manhood he meets the beautiful Eulilah and becomes a rival for her love with the very same sheik who murdered his father.