Davey, an orphaned street boy in Falmouth, England, fears being forced to serve in the copper mines or enslaved by a thievery band. The only thing he knows about his beginnings is his mother’s name, that he will not say aloud for fear of dying, as she did in bearing him. His only possession is a small dog, named Goliath. When a ship comes in, the Hampshire, with shipload of German emigres bound for the American colonies, he decides to stow away.

One evening before stowing away on the ship, Davey witnesses one of the ship’s sailors, Caleb Clark, assaulting and robbing a man. The sailor sees him with the dog. The next evening Davey leaves his dog with his only friend, Toby, and swims to the anchored ship, the Hampshire. As he shinnies up the back side of the ship and slides over the rail, he is met with a German man and his son. Fortune would have it that the son speaks passable English and manages to hide Davey among the German passengers. The Germans dress him as a German lad, and treat him better than he has ever been treated.

Meanwhile, a gentleman bound for the colonies, Harry Carlton–an artist and teacher, prepares to sail to the colonies after some personal losses, including a failed love affair, purchases the dog, and arrives on board shortly before they sail with the dog. He is friends with the captain, Thomas Cheesman. Davey fears discovery when Goliath sniffs him out. The sailor Davey had seen robbing the gentleman picks up on the affinity the dog has for Davey, and threatens Davey with exposure if he tells the captain what he knows about him robbing a man ashore.