A handsome young man called Horn gets off a Dutch ship on a small godforsaken island. He builds a shack by the mountain lake and sometimes goes to the local village to buy things. He spends his days fishing and hunting with the local fool Bekeko. Beautiful Ester, fiancée of a young man called Dribb, sometimes comes to visit. A strong bond of trust develops between Horn and Ester, and he confesses to her why he deserted his previous life.