A Spanish galleon full of valuable ponies travels down the coast of Virginia, bound for Panama. There, the ponies will be sold to the viceroy of Peru, who will use them as pack animals in the gold-mining industry. Although the captain yearns for the gold he will receive in exchange for the ponies, the ship is in trouble. Water supplies are dwindling, and the little hay that remains in the ponies’ stalls is smelly and damp. Suddenly, the wind dies down, and the captain realizes that they are in an area known for “white squalls,” sudden storms that surge after an abrupt period of quiet weather. He calls the crew into action, and they hurry to prepare the ship for a storm while he dreams of Peruvian riches.

Meanwhile, the ponies in the hull begin to panic. The stallion can tell when a storm is coming, and he is desperate to lead the mares out of the belly of the ship and onto high ground. He cries out in anguish and charges at the walls of his stall as he tries to break through. The mares follow his lead.

The storm hits with a sudden jolt, and the ponies are thrown back and forth as the ship rocks violently.