In Dahomey of gold, devise a plan to move to Africa to colonize Dahomey (present-day Benin) with a group of poor American blacks. Having undergone bad luck, the conmen, Shylock Homestead (played by Bert Williams) and Rareback Punkerton (George Walker) are sent to Florida to con Cicero Lightfoot (Pete Hampton), the president of a colonization society. To his surprise, Punkerton discovers Homestead to be rich, and proceeds to become his trustee to gain access to Homestead's wealth. Once having gained access to Homestead's wealth, Punkerton struts around, acting as a dandy, or a refined figure in black society. Upon realizing Punkerton's schemes,
In Dahomey Dahkey Is a King", "When It's All Goin' Out and Nothin' Comin In" and "Good Evenin'", have been performed in other vaudevillian Broadway shows. In its entirety, "In Dahomey" featured plenty more secondary characters than its opening stage at the Harry de Jur theatre could comfortably hold. Walker and Williams would go on to produce two more musicals as the same act, "Williams and Walker In Abyssinia" and "Walker and Williams in Bandana Land", with different themes, staging and locales. Percy Grainger wrote a virtuosic concert rag entitled "In Dahomey (Cakewalk Smasher)", in which he blended tunes from Cook's show