The story
“The expected happened. At the time Jess departed, Neil liked both girls, but preferred Jess. Thrown into daily companionship with Bess, he soon grew to love her, and made her happy by proposing to her. And little sister wrote to big sister, telling her the glorious news, never even suspecting the truth. Jess received the letter in the place of refuge, rejoiced that she had been able to insure the happiness of Bess, while at the same time she wept in secret over the fate that had taken all romance out of her young life. The two nieces of Silas Croft, an Englishman, who has an estate in South Africa, are in love with their uncle’s partner, Captain John Neil, a retired army officer. Jess, the elder, realizes that her sister’s affections are centered on Neil, and makes a pretext to leave the farm, believing that by so doing she will insure the happiness of little sister Bess. Matters turned out as she had anticipated, and in her distant home Jess with mingled feelings of joy and sorrow, receives news of the engagement. At this time, the rebellion which freed the Transvaal from British rule was brewing. Croft, who had first doubted that any trouble was impending, at last realizes the gravity of the situation, and Neil consents to go to Pretoria and bring Jess home before it is too late. The gallant soldier arrives in the city, but is unable to leave with his charge because the Boers had besieged the place, and even couriers cannot pierce the lines. A certain Frank Muller, a son of a Boer and an Englishwoman, is one of the leaders in the revolt. He had proposed to Bess and had been rejected. Learning that his successful rival is in Pretoria, he plans to dispose of him. Pretending great friendliness, he sends Neil a pass for Jess and himself, signed by Oom Paul Kruger. The unsuspecting Englishman falls into the trap, and with the girl leaves under the charge of a Boer escort, furnished by Muller. These men have been tricked into believing that Kruger has ordered that the couple be killed, and while they are crossing a river, fire upon them and believe they are slain. Jess and Neil, however, have a miraculous escape.”
Summary from The Moving Picture World · 25 May 1912
Another synopsis, from The Moving Picture World · 25 May 19121 min
“Following the crossing of the river under fire, on their way to Pretoria, Jess and Neil become separated, and the girl reaches the farm alone. There she finds that the villain Muller has been ahead of her, and that her uncle is a prisoner, on a charge of treason. Muller who is military head of the district, tells Bess that Croft will be convicted and hang unless Bess consents to marry him. The girl, however, refuses, the court-martial is held, and when Jess arrives, her uncle is under sentence to die at dawn, a few hours away. There is no one to whom she can appeal, and Jess, grief-stricken, decides to be her own avenger. Muller is asleep in his tent, waiting for the dawn when the last of the protectors of the girl he covets shall be separated from her by death. He awakes with a start. Bending over him is Jess. He believes it is a visitor from another world, for he could have sworn that he had seen her die a horrible death. Stricken with terror, unable to speak or make a motion, he goes to his death, his last thought being that there is life beyond the grave, that evil brings its own punishment. Jess wanders away into the desert and dies. Neil, searching, finds a body. The troubles of the others are finally supped away, Neil and Bess live happily many years in their English home, never realizing that they owe everything to the self-sacrificing Jess, although they sincerely mourn and miss her.”
