Back in England following his heroics in the Zulu Wars, George Hart is summoned to a new adventure when Prime Minister Disraeli aks him to go on a secret mission to Afghanistan, where the British fear Muslim extremists are poised to overthrow the local ruler and threaten the jewel in the Imperial crown, India.
Hart has to admit that his dark skin makes it easy for him to go undercover, but he suspects the Establishment sees him as expendable. In desperate need of money, however, George puts aside his misgivings and is soon in the company of a faithful Pathan guide as he descends the Khyber Pass into a strange and violent land.
