Major Tom Blake of the
United States Army is assigned by the first
United States Secretary of State -
Thomas Jefferson to go undercover and discover who has been attacking American merchant ships after the
American Revolutionary War has come to an end. Blake, calling himself "Brighton," boards a vessel and alienates two patriotic passengers, Anne Ridgeway and her brother Sam, who believe he possesses disloyal pro-
British sentiments. Men who serve Yusof, the
Bey of Tripoli, of the
Barbary states in
North Africa are behind the raids at sea. Blake ingratiates himself by saving the Bey from an assassin's attack, then locates the knife thrower, Zoltah, and confides his true identity to her. To his surprise, Anne is taken captive by the Bey and offered to him as a personal servant, a reward for his heroism. Blake privately reassures Anne he will not take advantage of the situation. Jefferson is later elected third
President of the United States in 1800 and sends a second agent, Tobias Sharpe, to the scene, unaware that Sharpe is a traitor. Blake is captured and sentenced to death, but escapes in time to take part in a battle that eliminates the threat to America, winning the admiration and affection of Anne. ==Cast==