The Deserter, shot in the style of a silent comedy from the 1920's, takes place during the American Revolution in the late 1700's. A loyal British drummer, one of the thousands of British soldiers stationed in America, accidentally drops his canteen into a stream while trying to fill it. He, by chasing his floating canteen down the stream, puts into motion a series of events which will won't stop until he is dead. For a British officer sees him chasing his canteen and mistakes it for his trying to desert the British army by running away into the woods. The officer quickly orders two of the dumbest soldiers after him. The drummer, after catching up with his canteen gets lost in the woods and can't find his way back to the British encampment. When the two British redcoats catch up with the "deserting" drummer, things go from bad to worse for him, when he finally realizes he is being hunted down for execution. His accidentally killing one of these soldiers doesn't help his case either. The drummer briefly escapes... right into the hands of the Americans! In the meantime, the British forces, back at the encampment, march off to meet the American forces for a grand battle, which will rage for hours. And which all the soldiers hunting down the drummer will conveniently miss. The story doesn't end until the officer and his small band of men sees the deserter hanged, but is that really the end of the story?