Voor Galg en Rad plot
South Limburg, 1743. Thias, 16, is a timid, docile boy who is a member of a gang of street children. Led by the tough Hendrik, they roam and steal around Hoensbroek Castle. The citizens see them as children of the devil who were born for gallows and wheels. This is partly correct, because Thias is the son of Mathias Ponts: captain of the Bokkenrijders. He has been arrested and convicted of horrific acts. When Thias is unfairly expelled from the group, he decides to make an effort to ask his father for advice one last time before he is sentenced to death.