After getting into trouble because of her adventurous spirit, the oldest girl Judy is sent away to boarding school. When she runs away from school, she falls ill, and her father allows her go to the country to recover her health. The other children go with her, and for a time the family is happy, but the mood is shattered when Judy is killed by a branch falling from a tree . Her death makes the Captain aware that he has mistreated his children, and he begins to relax and enjoy the company of his remaining children.