Sands of Sacrifice
Summary
A hedonistic hunting excursion, led by the boisterous 'Big Bill' Darcey, veers off course when the liquor supply dwindles, prompting a migration to the nearby lodge of Darcey's agent, Enoch Foyle. There, a tense tableau awaits: Nora Farnes, solitary and armed, poised to confront Foyle for his financial malfeasance against her mother. The arrival of the unruly party escalates the situation, but Bill, alongside his ailing companion Sammy Goode, surprisingly intercedes, shielding Nora from their unwelcome advances. When Foyle finally appears, Nora's determined confrontation results in a minor injury to the swindler. Bill, experiencing an unexpected surge of protective instinct and burgeoning affection, escorts Nora to his own lodge for the night, ultimately convincing her to enter into a hasty marriage to safeguard her imperiled reputation. However, this nascent happiness is brutally shattered when Bill uncovers Foyle's audacious scheme: the agent has systematically siphoned off Bill's entire fortune. The subsequent sight of Nora at Foyle's lodge ignites a corrosive doubt in Bill's heart, leading him to abandon her and embark on a desperate, self-imposed exile into the unforgiving desert with the consumptive Sammy. Amidst the relentless desolation, a weakened Sammy, in his final moments, extracts a solemn promise from Bill: to return and truly listen to Nora's explanation. Following his harrowing rescue from the wilderness, Bill discovers Nora dining with Foyle, a scene initially misinterpreted as further betrayal. Yet, the truth swiftly emerges: Nora has shrewdly orchestrated the encounter, concealing detectives to clandestinely record Foyle's confession. This revelation paves the way for a profound reconciliation, allowing Bill and Nora to share a dinner finally free from the shadows of deceit and misunderstanding.
Synopsis
When the unruly drinking party at "Big Bill" Darcey's hunting lodge runs out of liquor, they move to the lodge of Darcey's agent, Enoch Foyle, and finding attractive Nora Farnes waiting alone, harass her. Bill, who previously was interested only in pleasure, with his consumptive friend Sammy Goode, protects Nora, who, armed with a revolver, intends to confront Foyle for swindling her mother. When Foyle returns, Nora wounds him slightly. Bill brings her to his lodge for the night, and falling in love, convinces her to marry him to protect her name. As he is preparing to leave on his honeymoon, Bill learns that Foyle fleeced him of his fortune. Finding Nora at Foyle's lodge, he loses faith in her, and leaves with Sammy for the desert because of Sammy's illness. Lost and exhausted, Sammy makes a dying request that Bill return and listen to Nora's explanation. After Bill's rescue, he finds Nora dining with Foyle, but upon learning that she has hidden detectives to overhear Foyle's confession, Bill is reconciled with Nora, and they finish the dinner.
