In 1825, after fleeing a pirate ship, Marcos Zappa is taken to meet Don Pedro Garcia, whose ambition is to be emperor of California for the Republic of Mexico. Able to blackmail Marcos because of an "R" mark hidden beneath his bandanna permanently identifying Marcos as a renegade and traitor, Garcia schemes to have Marcos seduce and marry Manuella, the daughter of his rival, Jose de Marquez, having been rejected as a suitor himself.[citation needed]
Manuella is already engaged to be married to Miguel De Gandara. A gambling-house owner, Anita Gonzales, in league with Garcia, is angry when Marcos fails to succumb to her charms. Manuella is attracted to Marcos but not sure how much to trust him. He reveals the "R" brand as a demonstration of good faith. They spend a night together, whereupon her father insists they marry.[citation needed]
At the wedding, Miguel jealously challenges Marcos to a duel. Anita then exposes Marcos as a disloyal renegade, only to have it revealed that the "R" brand has been faked, with Marcos working undercover to unearth Garcia's treachery. In a sword fight, Marcos kills Garcia, then is free to marry Manuella.[citation needed]
