Violet, employed as a maid of Count Berkow, is wrongly accused of burglary of the Count. After an unjust prison sentence Violet travels to America.

Count de Faber is working on a new type of explosive, but finds out that Professor Plussman has beat him to it. After an unsuccessful attempt to acquire the formula from Plussman, he breaks into the professor's house, steals the formula, and kidnaps his daughter, Mary. He takes her to Carlsten Fortress.