North of the Border

When cowboy Robert Nyes, nicknamed "Utah," arrives in the Canadian woods, he playfully roughs up trapper Ivy Jenkins in the local store, mistaking him for Bill Lawton, the friend he has come to meet. When his mistake is revealed, the embarrassed Utah asks George Laramie, the storekeeper, about Bill and learns that he has not been in town for quite a while. George and his niece, Ruth Wilson, suggest that Utah question the trappers who are drinking at the saloon. There, Ivy is telling "Nails" Nelson that Utah has been asking about Bill. Later, when Ivy quarrels with Nelson about their division of the profits, Utah intervenes and shoots a knife out of the hands of one of Nelson's men. After the fight, Utah heads for Bill's cabin, but is stopped along the way by mountie sergeant Jack Craig, who questions him about the fight. Ivy refuses to confirm that Utah shot in self-defense, but Nails agrees not to press charges against Utah, provided that he leaves town in an hour. At Bill's cabin, Utah finds signs of a struggle and becomes worried about the fate of his friend. When Jack rides by Bill's cabin later, Utah explains that he has spent the last year riding in rodeos, while Bill was trapping, in order to earn enough money to support their ranch. Jack agrees to let him stay at Bill's for a short time. That night, Nails sneaks into the store with a load of stolen pelts. The next morning, Ruth brings food for Utah. While filling a canteen at the spring, Ruth discovers Bill's body. Although the death has been made to look like a drunken accident, Utah is convinced that Bill was murdered, because he did not drink. He asks Ruth to keep the discovery of Bill's death a secret so that he will have time to find the killers. Meanwhile, Nails and his men plot to frame Utah for Bill's murder. After Utah buries Bill, he meets Ivy, who is returning to town with his traps. When Utah asks why Ivy lied, Ivy explains that because Nails finances all the trappers, George will only pay the amount that Nails sets for the pelts. Bill had his own money and thus was not dependent on Nails, but his pelts were always stolen before she could sell them. In an attempt to catch the thief, Bill started to brand his pelts. Utah and Ivy then hatch a plot to trap Nails. Later, Jack, who has discovered Bill's grave, arrests Utah for murder. Utah escapes and joins Ivy in town. They sneak into the store, hoping to discover the pelts stolen from Bill, but are spotted by one of Nails' men. Nails and his men then rouse George and order him to shoot Utah and Ivy as intruders. When George refuses, Nails kills him with Utah's gun. While Nails rounds up a posse to lynch them, Utah and Ivy overcome their guards. Utah then questions the men and learns that Bill's pelts have been placed on the stage heading to Calgary. While Utah hurries after the stage, Ivy meets Jack and fills him in on the recent events. Utah catches up with the stage, but the posse follows close behind. Telling the driver to turn the stolen pelts over to Jack, Utah runs from the posse. After a gunfight, he is rescued by Ivy, Jack and other mounties. Now that his name is cleared and Bill's killers are captured, Utah marries Ruth, who will help him run the ranch.