Drifting (1923)

Cassie Cook is an opium smuggler in China. In Hong Kong, she meets Jules Repin, her competitor. The two agree to become partners. They move on to Shanghai, where they meet at Madam Polly Voo's café on the Yangsti Road. Cassie argues with Repin; she has sunk her money into a big shipment that Repin said he had, but the merchandise is nowhere to be found.

In addition, Repin induced her to purchase a lot of gowns that she is now unable to pay for. At Hong Chow, a small village at the edge of the poppy fields, a mining engineer arrives, ostensibly to open and work a long abandoned mine. In fact, the newcomer is really Captain Arthur Jarvis, who is there to stop the opium trade. Repin suspects the newcomer of being a government agent. He tries to persuade Cassie to go to Hong Chow to investigate, but she refuses. Cassie has befriended Lillian Morton, a girl from the States who has become addicted to opium. Cassie finally realizes the ugliness of her business, and tells Repin she is through and is going to return to the States. She decides to sell off her unpaid-for gowns, and place a bet on the races, with plans to use the winnings to take Lillian with her back to the States. However, her horse loses, and she ends up worse off. Destitute but still wishing to keep her promise to Lillian, Cassie decides to return to smuggling until she can raise enough money for the trip home. She arrives in Hong Chow and meets Dr. Li, from whom she buys her opium. The pair also plan to find out with Jarvis is up to. Cassie meets Jarvis, and poses as a novelist. Jarvis falls for the deception, and becomes interested in Cassie. Meanwhile, Dr. Li's daughter Rose has fallen for Jarvis. But Jarvis' assistant, Murphy, is in love with Rose. When Rose sees Cassie going to Jarvis' cabin while he is away, she follows and watches. She sees Cassie remove a report from an envelope and hen replace it with a blank sheet. When Jarvis returns, Rose tells him what she saw, but he refuses to believe her, and mails the envelope. Now that Cassie has gained the confidence of Jarvis, he tells her what he is doing there and what he thinks of all dope peddlers. Cassie has started to fall for Jarvis, and dreads the day when he learns the truth about her. Repin and Li call on Jarvis in an attempt to get him to agree to let the opium through for a price. When he refuses, they tell him they know who he is, and that if he does not agree to help them, the whole town will be wiped out by the poppy workers. It is then that Jarvis learns the truth about Cassie. Jarvis decides to fight the attack and induces the villagers to arm themselves and resist any effort to destroy the town. A terrific battle ensues, and Cassie and Repin are prevented from leaving with their opium. Murphy fights bravely, but when he sees his side is losing, he rushes off to summon troops. The town's missionary and his wife are killed, but their young son Bruce escapes and later returns to his cabin. Cassie, seeking refuge, locks herself in the cabin with Bruce. Rose sees Jarvis and Repin at her father's home, locked in deadly combat. Knowing how Cassie feels about Jarvis, Rose finds her and tells her he will be killed if she doesn't help him. After Rose leaves, Cassie tries to follow, but the workers discover her and set the cabin on fire. Returning to her home, Rose discovers her father is dead. She picks up his gun and shoots Repin just as he is about to knife Jarvis. Rose then tells Jarvis that Cassie is in jeopardy, and Jarvis rushes out to save her. Rose faints next to the body of her father. Jarvis rescues Cassie and Bruce, just before the troops arrive to quell the attack. The two pledge their love to each other. Murphy rushes to Rose's home and revives her.