Jaws of Justice

In a small Canadian mining settlement, the settlers are having a square dance. New to the community is a young deaf-mute boy named "Kickabout" Riley and his two dogs, one a scroungy, smelly mutt, the other a bright, intelligent German shepherd named "Kazan." Kickabout has been adopted into the family of "Seeker" Dean, the leader of the settlers, and his daughter Judy, who has been teaching Kickabout to read and write. When Seeker asks Boone Jackson, a writer, why he hasn't finished his book yet and left the settlement, Jackson says it is because of his love for Judy, which Seeker happily endorses. But when Boone asks for permission to marry Judy, Seeker says they must wait until he returns. Seeker tells Boone that he has found the mother lode of gold the settlers have been seeking for fifteen years, and unknown to anyone else, he is going the Canadian government to claim the land for all the settlers. Sergeant Kinkaid of the North West Mounted Police arrives, searching for his old friend Kickabout and immediately becomes attracted to Judy. The next day, Seeker confides to Kickabout that the gold is located under a dam which he is seeking permission to drain. Seeker drives to the train station with Boone. On the way to the train station, Seeker discovers a letter to Boone from a gold syndicate implicating Boone in an attempt to jump Seeker's claim. Seeker forces the car off the road and the two fight. Kazan watches as Boone throws Seeker down a cliff to his death. Boone returns late to see Kinkaid and Judy having lunch, saying his delay was due to tire trouble. Kinkaid leaves with Kazan on a mission, feeling uneasy about Boone due to Kazan's dislike of him. One year later, Kinkaid and Kazan return, with Seeker's whereabouts still unknown. Seeing Boone searching the Dean home, Kinkaid assumes that he and Judy have married. Kinkaid tells Kickabout that he doesn't believe Seeker ever left the valley as Kickabout tries to inform him that he knows where the gold is. Kazan finds Seeker's shallow grave and takes a piece of Seeker's clothing, leaving it at Boone's house. Boone, realizing Kazan's knowledge, shoots the dog. Kazan crawls back to the Dean home, where Kinkaid removes the bullet and stitches him up. Judy finds a cryptogram, which she and Kinkaid attempt to solve. When Boone arrives, Kinkaid tells Judy not to tell him about the cryptogram, but she does anyway, giving him a copy. Kazan returns to Seeker's grave, retrieving a shoe and placing it inside Boone's home. When Boone tries to shoot the dog again, Kazan attacks him, takes the gun away and gives it to Kinkaid. When Boone arrives, demanding the dog's extermination, Kinkaid strikes him. Judy, seeing Kinkaid's blow, orders him away. The next day, Judy and Kinkaid solve the code. Boone, overhearing their conversation, breaks into the Dean home, offering to take Judy with him to the United States if she will help him jump the claim. Judy refuses and Boone strikes her. Kazan breaks into the cabin via the fireplace and fights Boone. Judy faints as the dog jumps out the window to get Kinkaid and Kickabout. They find Judy who tells them to "get Boone." Just as Boone is lowering himself into the dam to blow it up, Kazan arrives and chews apart Boone's tow rope, causing Boone to fall to his death. Kazan puts out the fuse on the dynamite just in the nick of time as Judy and Kinkaid, finally together, embrace.