Henry Whalley is an aging but once-famous merchant captain in Southeast Asia. He made a name for himself in the age of sail, when he commanded clipper ships and even made some minor geographical discoveries. When a banking crash wipes out his life savings, he retires with enough funds to sail on his own small ship. He is, however, forced to sell this ship when his daughter writes asking for financial aid. To provide for himself and his daughter, he enlists as captain of a dubious steamer under a three-year contract. Meanwhile, the owner of the steamer is a compulsive gambler looking for ways to take over the captain’s assets. Whalley is now near the end of his contract, with one final run to complete.

Joseph Conrad included The End of the Tether as part of Youth, a Narrative and Two Other Stories , a collection published in 1902. While less famous than Heart of Darkness (also part of that collection, though first published three years earlier as a serial), The End of the Tether is notable for its central themes of money, industrial development, and retirement.