Warsaw: the Polish terrorist Artur Herling is captured by the Ochrana, the Czar’s secret police, after planting a bomb in the Russian prosecutor’s house. A policeman arranges for Herling to make a daring escape from prison, a young man who helps him penetrate a group of socialist revolutionaries in Zakopane follow him. The head of the group is Andrew and he wants to conquer the Kazalnica Mountain. Among the mountains Herling has a gradual change of heart. He tries to persuade Andrew that the planned attack is murder, that many innocent people may die and that terrorism cannot be justified by any ideology. But Andrew remains firm and Herling sacrifices his own life in vain.