West and Gordon are assigned to protect Dr. Raven, who is developing a secret weapon. Raven is a member of a tontine, an investment group whose bylaws state that the surviving member of the group gets the assets of the group. When one of the tontine's members is killed and an attempt is made on Raven's life, the agents decide to investigate. They find a house full of traps and two members of the tontine looking to "survive" the group and take the money for themselves.

While President Grant attends an event at the German Consulate, Baron Hinterestoisser invites him to a special reception, explaining he has something interesting for the president to see. Suspicious, agent James West retrieves the mysterious box the Baron refers to and finds a kinetoscope of a fake depiction of President Grant signing a secret agreement with the unscrupulous government of another nation. If the film is shown for the heads of other countries, Grant will suffer terrible indignation and upset international relations. If the film is not replaced, however, the Baron will accuse the U.S. of stealing on consulate soil, a far greater crime. Agent Artemus Gordon decides that the only alternative is to make a duplicate kintetoscope-with some changes-and return it to the consulate before it is discovered missing. West and Gordon finish just as the president arrives. The Baron announces that he has proof of President Grant's connection with the corrupt foreigh officials. But as th