In the South Seas, on the border of the colonial empire of the Netherlands, drunken beachcomber Edward C. Wilson, known as "Ginger Ted," is arrested when English missionary Martha Jones and her brother, Dr. Owen Jones, accuse him of corrupting the native women, who enjoy his free-spirit and charm. Reluctant to deport his one true friend, the controleur sentences Ginger Ted to three months' hard labor but sends him to Agor Island, where he is surrounded by attentive native women. When Owen gets malaria, Martha must travel past Agor Island to take care of a patient. On her return, Sergeant Henrik stops to pick up Ted at the controleur's request, and they are forced to spend the night on the island. Returning home, Ted wins the Jones's affection for respecting "the virtue of Miss Jones," but refuses their friendship until a typhoid epidemic breaks out, and he is needed to give inoculations with Martha. While among the natives, Ted and Martha are jeopardized because the natives believe the sickness is punishment for allowing Martha to convert their leader, Albert, to Christianity and therefore blame the white couple. After Martha tries to stop the natives from worshipping an idol, Albert's wife brings their sick daughter to the hut, which the natives then surround. As the drum beats accelerate outside the hut, Ted apologizes to Martha for scorning her religion, saying his disagreeable father was a vicar, and she confesses that her father drank himself to death. As a result of a serum Martha administers, the little girl recovers and the natives accept the inoculations. Ted and Martha then marry and return to England, where they become the owners of the Fox and Rabbitt Darts Club.