Based on a short story ("Travelin' Man") by American author Peter Matthiessen, the film tells the story of Traver, a black jazz musician on the run after a white woman has accused him of rape. Such a charge in Southern United States could lead to his being lynched. After stealing a boat to escape, Traver makes his way to an island inhabited by the beekeeper Miller, and Evalyn, the granddaughter of his recently deceased partner.