In England, a young man named James is working in the docks of London with his younger brother William. They are both unemployed and looking for work and have to fight other job-seekers to get a place on the ships. His brother gets a job on a certain ship and while James bids him farewell, he is approached by a soldier who offers him a chance to join the Imperial army in India. James eventually agrees after finding that his wife, Tess, is pregnant.