The Test

Brule Conway, a young trapper and owner of dog Rin-Tin-Tin, Jr., called "Rinnie," prepares for the winter season's work. After packing his equipment, Brule says goodbye to his girl friend, Beth McVey, who is the daughter of the owner of the trading post. Pepite Lajoie, who desires Beth, wants to trap more furs than Brule, which will hopefully win her affections away from Brule. Brule's traps elicit good catches but someone is stealing the captured animals. Finding Lajoie's two men in the act of robbing one of his traps, Brule has Rinnie frighten them off. In their haste to escape, they leave behind a bag containing all of Brule's stolen furs. When the trappers return to the trading post with their goods, Brule hides his furs outside, where they are guarded by Rinnie. Brule confronts Lajoie in the trading post and forces him to admit to stealing the furs. Outside the trading post, Lajoie lures Rinnie away from the stash by tempting him with a female dog, Nanette. His trick works, and the two dogs run off into the woods, allowing Lajoie and his men to steal back the furs. When Brule learns of the theft, he tells Rinnie that he wants nothing more to do with him, upsetting Beth, who then tells Rinnie to find the furs. Rinnie follows Lajoie to his camp and his attempt to get the furs is successful only in scaring Lajoie. Lajoie runs to his canoe and as he paddles down the river, Rinnie runs along the shore following him. Rinnie makes another failed attempt to get Lajoie, and Lajoie assumes that he has drowned and goes back to shore. Back at his camp, Lajoie, now sensing that the dog is still alive, hides the furs in his canoe and sets his traps around the camp's perimeter, unaware that Rinnie is hiding in the brush, watching him. While Lajoie waits for the traps to work, he falls asleep, and Rinnie moves one of the traps. Awoken by the sound of Rinnie's barking, Lajoie falls into and is caught in Rinnie's trap. Rinnie gets in Lajoie's canoe, and as it drifts down the river, Brule and his men see him and are able to pull the canoe to shore. Ashore, Rinnie and Lajoie, who was freed from the trap by his men, engage in another fight and Brule helps Rinnie until the rest of his men arrive and arrest Lajoie. When they go back to the trading post, Rinnie presents Beth with a blue fox fur, and as Rinnie runs into the woods to join Nanette, Brule and Beth embrace.