The novel is set on a Polynesian island, the state of Samoa. It introduces a character called Walker, an old white man who is put in charge of the island and the modernization of it with the building of roads. He is a boastful and self-indulgent man who sees the natives of the island as his children. Mackintosh is Walker’s assistant. He is of Scottish descent and a butt of most of Walker’s jokes. Mackintosh’s hatred towards his boss is growing by the day, and it culminates with the incident of mistreatment of the natives by Walker.
The natives decide to not build the roads for the mere twenty pounds that Walker offered them, instead they demand to be paid a hundred pounds for their work. Walker decides to use their tradition against them-they can’t refuse to host guests and bring them food. Therefore, Walker decides to appoint people from another island to build the roads slowly while taking advantage of the natives’ hospitality. This leads to them using up their entire food stores and desperately crawl back to Walker and beg him to build the roads for free. Walker, instead, demands that they pay him twenty pounds and build the roads as well.
The native Chief’s son, Maluma, decides to take matters into his own hands, and begs Mackintosh for help. Mackintosh discreetly leaves his gun, for Maluma to take, and nervously waits for the moment of Walker’s fall. When it finally happens, dying Walker tells Mackintosh that he is ought to take his place and to put the blame on the natives because he sees them as his children. The novel ends with Mackintosh taking his revolver and going out into the ocean.
