Captain Bumerli, a cowardly Swiss Army pastry chef, finds himself in the midst of battle and flees the scene. He escapes up a trellis and ends up in the bedroom of Nadina, the fiancee of a war hero. Nadina helps him avoid capture by the Bulgarians and later helps him escape. A year later Bumerli returns to win Nadina's love and prevent her loveless marriage to Major Spiridoff.