When Seymour Merriman stops at the side of the road outside Bordeaux, he did not know the adventure he was in for. The events that follow pull him into a world of mystery, smuggling, murder and love. As this complex classic unfolds, it follows two amateurs in their attempt to unlock the mystery of the pit prop syndicate, before the case is handed over to Inspector Willis of Scotland Yard, to chase down the scheme to its very end.