Two lovers, Johnnie and Lucy, desire to wed. Lucy's dad. however, has first to be shown that John has enough worldly goods to be worthy of his daughter's hand. John brings his wealth in a steel-bound chest. The richness of the contents of this chest amazes dad and he gives his eager consent. Just at this time Capt. Kidd puts ashore to raze the town. The first inhabitant Kidd meets is old Hezekiah, the village sot, who to save his skin leads them to John's treasure chest. Kidd captures Lucy and drags her with the treasure chest to the pirate ship. Here the chest is opened. John comes aboard to rescue Lucy. A bloody battle ensues. All the pirates are slain except Kidd and two of the crew. John and Lucy escape. Kidd and his two survivors put ashore with the chest, which they bury. Kidd makes a plan of the spot. His two men then do away with themselves. Kidd becomes poisoned by drinking water and dies in the house of John and Lucy, first secretly hiding the plan where the treasure is buried. Two hundred years later we find the descendants of John and Lucy still occupying the same house. Having a hard run with poverty, they are about to be ousted by the sheriff when, quite by accident, Capt. Kidd's old plan of the burial place of the treasure is found. The shovel brigade concentrates about the spot. Happily the treasure is discovered by the descendants of the original John and Lucy. They need never fear poverty now, for the chest was found to contain "the fruit of hen, the most costly food in the realm of men."