Elliot Straive is a college professor who has left the evils of civilization behind to raise his son Eric in the purity of the Canadian wilderness. James Heatherton sends Mark Grant to get the mining rights to Straive's land as vast deposits of iron ore have been discovered there. Grant arrives as the elder Straive lies dying and has written a final note to his absent son. Grant tears off the portion of the letter with Straive's signature and forges a concession to the mining rights above the signature. Heatherton, dissatisfied with the unwitnessed signature of a dead man, decides to to himself to get Eric Straive to sign the concession. He sends his family on ahead on vacation. The family hires Eric as a guide, thinking him to be a mere backwoods barbarian. Eric and Heatherton's daughter Floria fall in love, but the relationship falters when she confesses that she has lied to him about why they are there. Grant returns upon the scene and tries to force Eric to sign.