William Bowman

A kindly shop owner whose overwhelming gambling debts allow a greedy landlord to seize his shop of dusty treasures. Evicted and with no way to pay his debts, he and his granddaughter flee.

English officer Bertie Cecil falls into severe financial distress and is falsely accused of a forged note. To protect the honor of a lady and cover for his younger brother (the real culprit), Bertie remains silent and accepts the appearance of guilt. Facing ruin and arrest, Bertie flees England and joins the French Foreign Legion (or Chasseurs d'Afrique) in Algeria under an assumed name. His English girlfriend travels to Africa to find him. Meanwhile, Cigarette, the fierce "child of the regiment" and camp follower develop deep feelings for Bertie. Following dangerous military conflicts and acts of self-sacrifice in the desert, Bertie's name is eventually cleared, allowing him to return to England.

During World War I, a professional thief known as The Lone Wolf is assigned to steal a cylinder with important information from behind the German lines and bring it to Allied intelligence headquarters. However, German agents set out to stop him, headed by the man who was responsible for the death of the thief's sister.