Ralph Bathurst, the hero of the story, has fallen in love with a girl captured by a wicked Rajah in India. The story starts with a Juggler, Rujub. We find out what the juggler does and how his life intertwines with the life of the 'hero', a man who is too nervous to fire a gun. Set in an English community struggling to escape death during the Indian Mutiny, this is an intriguing tale of love and adventure. When a girl comes to India to live with her uncle, she is given several choices which provides a romantic twist to the story..