Tom and his uncle come into contact with another man, William Tyndale, whose work and prayer is to put an English Bible into the hands of the common people. While Uncle Jack sees only the profit in a religious Reformation, it is Tom who sees in Tyndale's work the dawning of a new age and a new way of life for himself and England.

Tom Barton and his Uncle Jack are the owners, as well as First Mate and Captain, of a ship called the Black Pearl. As a smuggler, Tom is always looking for a cargo that will turn a good profit. Tom meets a man named William Tyndale who is translating the Bible from traditional Latin into English, something that could get him hanged as a heretic. Tyndale is the Hawk that Dare Not Hunt by Day. He lives a life of constant danger, always hiding from the King's officials. He drifts from place to place until his own best friend betrays him.