Based on a Selma Lagerlöf novel, the vagabond David tells stories about the coachman of Death who drives through the world gathering up souls of the dead. During a drunken brawl, David is struck by a bottle and as the clock strikes midnight, a carriage glides up and out of the mist. In flashback, David recalls how he was once a reliable worker and conscientious father until the demon alcohol led him down the path to prison while his wife and two small daughters became destitute.