 Who of us will ever know what is in the heart of a dog? This is the story of a great love. The love of a dog for one man. A love that was to prove even stronger than life itself. Keep going. I forgot to clear the shaft of Richard's corpse in the turret. Just wait, you see Frank Blake's eyes. When we tell him he's a millionaire. Call your pup any more, can I fella? Can't call her a fella, neither. Say, that's right. Excuse me, beautiful. Well, how's it going, Jonathan? Shipping me ain't complaining. Steve, has Frank been around tonight? Frank? Frank Blake? Thanks, Steve. Here we are. Jonathan Harvey? That's right. I'm Lynn Taylor. Sorry we couldn't let you know, Jonathan. Martha wanted to, but there was no way of finding in time. Time for what? Frank's dead, Jonathan, over a month ago in the morning. Tommy worries me, Jonathan. Do you know that he's never once cried? If he could just let it out. We'll work it out, Martha. We'll find a way. What about this fellow Taylor? Lynn's a fine man. He's been wonderful. Why did Frank take him in as a partner? He had to. Lynn's buying in when he did kept us from losing everything. I see. Does that make him a partner of grab-stake rights? Yes, why? Jonathan, you've made a strike. I've got something to show you. Jonathan's inside. I'm so glad you're here. Jonathan has something to show us. I found a vein of that. If it's deep enough, it could be the biggest strike this territory has ever seen. That's why we've got to file a claim and a quick file before it's proved. If you file now and word gets out that you struck ore like this, every claim jump in the territory will be in those hills in a week. Before you're sure yourself that you've hit the main vein. I get you're right. 30 years of mud-scrabbling and when I do find the glory dust, I go off half-cocked. Mr. Taylor, Martha's right about you. And right now you can start working and being a partner by lining me up some supplies. Of course, Jonathan. Anything you need. Meet you in the stone a half hour. Good night, Lynn. If it's all right with you, Martha, I'd like to talk a might with Tom. Anything you can do. Oh, Jonathan, why do you have to die? Easy, boy. Some things we can't answer. Lord's got his way of doing things we just can't answer. You didn't want to cry. You go ahead and cry. Do it myself sometimes. Before my tears all dried up on me. Now, how about ship here? Those hills up there, it's for a dog. It's twice, not ship. It is? No, not too lonesome. She likes folks around. Fact is, she just plain ain't happy up there. As for me, well, I'm better off alone. Lots of times the dog is nothing but a darn bother to me. A bother to you? Ship? Now, what the hell, Jew, ship? Now, come on, come on up here. You get away. Now, come on, get away. Now, what I'm sand-washing up to with all this is, how about taking her off my hand? Will you do it, Tom? Will you? You're no liar, Jonathan. I can't take ship from you. She's your dog. Nobody else is still she dies. Thanks anyway. Look, don't tell anybody I bawled. Will you, please? Honest to Christmas. We didn't do so good. All right, it's Christmas. And given is part of Christmas. Anyway, you are a bother to me. I'll be quiet. And don't look at me that way. That's Jonathan. Merry Christmas, Tommy. Merry Christmas, Ma. Look. Yes, dear, I know. Dear Tommy, I put it up to ship. She agreed with it. She's yours. Merry Christmas from Jonathan. Where is Jonathan? He's gone, sir. Gone? Is it all right, Ma? Can I really keep her? That's what he wanted, Tommy. I'm sure it's all right. Gone with you, Mr. Bald Eagle. What's wrong? I'm sick. I'm sick of you. He said dog ship, not it, because she want to go home. To Jonathan? He said dog ship, not it, because she want to go home. He said dog ship, not it, because she want to go home. Thanks, Mr. Bald Eagle. Thanks. Ma, see. Goodbye, Red Wing. Well, hiya. Well, we've got to get her to Jonathan. Please, sir, and take her. Please, Ma. I don't know, dear. How could you ever find him? Shep could. She knows where the claim is. But you still couldn't go alone. I'll take you, Ma. I'll be glad to. Gee, thanks, Mr. Taylor. Hear that, Shep? We're going to take you back to Jonathan. Now you've got to eat and get strong for the trip. Here, take some. You've got to. Shep, what is it? Nothing, what's wrong? The worst has passed. So weak, I couldn't get food any longer. That's what was wrong with Shep. She knew. She wouldn't eat. She made us bring her here. Ma's right, Jonathan. Shep's your dog, nobody else's. So I'm giving her back to you, right now. Never mind the dog, Tommy. Tommy, you rustle up some wood. I'll save out the food. Guess you'll wonder how our partnership's been going. You were right. I'd have been a fool if I had that claim. Bane peed it out in a week. So I just kept working upstream, surfaced up. Hardly worth a man's time. I'll show you. Tommy, go on over there by the shelf. Now slide that chest out. The board underneath will lift up. Look inside, Tommy. How much is here, Jonathan? Oh, not much. Only around about $6,000. $6,000? And plenty more to come. $6,000. You say that's just from gravel? You still haven't found the main vein? No, but it's up there. I aimed to just work upstream until I find it. And I will. As sure as your name's Lynn Taylor. You realize what this means? It means we're rich. All of us. Sure we are, but that's not what I'm talking about. You need help. Now look, I'm starting back to town tomorrow. I'll take this gold and deposit it in all our names. It'll be safe there. And I'll be back. Why, with proper equipment, we can take that gold out ten times as fast. All my life I've waited for something like this. And I'm not taking any chance on losing it now. Send the channel across there and build a smooth spot below the rapid. Let it go, Tommy. Can't you see one day's take from this, baby Taylor? Just wait. But he's out there. Sure, the same fellas you've been here in for three days. You said to yourself there are the prospectors over in Oak Valley. What if they got word somehow that we've hit it? Sure. A little bird flew down and told him. So they came running right back here so they could dig up all our pretty gold right in the driving rain. You may think it's funny, but I don't. And from now on we'll keep in a guard here at the cabin while we're up at the mine. We've got to. All right, Taylor. Then you stand, God. Tommy and me are with the mine. Or maybe that'd worry you too. You'd be wondering if we were losing some of it before we got here. Now, ease up, Taylor. Stop worrying. The richest dust in creation is no blame good if you kill yourself, getting it. Now go on, get some sleep. I'm going to. Been watching, guys. But you didn't fool me. I knew you were out there. You heard what I said. Move! Go get what you put in there. Taylor! What's going on here? You keep out of this, John. Johnathan, I know what I'm doing. What are you getting at, don't you? You crazy fool, I ought to let you know. Make him show you what he put in that saddle bag. I took something from there for this house. He's lying. Look for yourself. Now, Taylor, you look. Who's inside, searching around, snooping. For food? I would have prepared a table in the presence of my friends. This is pilot Pete, Taylor. You've been longer in these hills. You've never made that mistake. Don't make it again. Come on, Pete. Let's see about that something. Hi, sir, Mr. Pete. Regular? No, son. I'm as irregular as it comes. Got to have roots to be a regular person. Me, I ain't got the roots of a tumbleweed. Two things I love above all else. The Lord's mountains and the Lord's centers. So, I spend my time in one looking for the other. And I sure find them. Here, lady. Early shuffle on. She never makes up the strangers. She don't? Here, here, lady. Here, lady. Well, you got her wrong, brother, Taylor. Thou saw us the beast that was and is not. Revelation 17.8. Well, there's plenty of love in this dog for them that loves her. Ain't a ship. Or maybe she just likes my student. Pete. This is from all of us. Well, in his name, I thank you. Jonathan, Tommy, Mr. Taylor, and you, too, Lady Fair. The Lord be with you in all your laborings. Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. Matthew 6.19. Gabriel. Hi, Mr. Pete. Goodbye, Pete. Goodbye. Work for the night is coming. Work through the morning of work while the dew is waiting. Tommy, you go down to work. I'll be along. You gave him dust. That's a death giveaway we struck paydirt. The old fool talked. He won't. Pete knows the law of these hills, too. And he lives by it. You could try doing the same. And until you do, I'm taking that gun. I keep my own gun. You're edgy, Taylor. Getting worse every time more gold goes under that floor. That ain't just being scared someone will steal it, neither. It's having to split it with Martha and me. You're crazy. Only a quarter you keep thinking to yourself. I only get a quarter. And Jonathan gets half. That keeps eating at you, Taylor. I've been watching you, and I know. That's why I'm taking that gun. Now, you won't do that. There's two reasons why you won't shoot me, Taylor. The first, you won't find that vein without me. And the other. The other is just a hunch that you haven't got the guts. It's a description of the claim made out in all our names. Hers, Taylor's, and mine. Is there anything wrong, Jonathan? Oh, this is just in case someone gets the bright idea of filing only in their own name. Oh, Mr. Taylor. Remember, whatever happens, not a word to anyone about my doubt. Even your ma, promise? Send your ma not to worry. I will. Who reels you? You know between us, we gotta take care of that boy. He don't know these trails like we do. Oh, it ain't for good this time. You're coming back. Now go on, get it. I sent Tommy home. The kid's getting lonesome for his ma. What's all the excitement? Jonathan, that vein we've been looking for. If it was up there, what would it look like? Well, no, I'll tell you. A sheer face of the cliff, white quartz, the whitest you ever saw. And in it, jackets like lightning, a vein of pure gold. Go, Jonathan, that wine. It's up there, so help me, I found it. It's up there waiting for us. Well, at the head of the canyon way up. Well, let's go. Make things harder for me to explain. Why is come, come here, come stick. With Lillia, come in with us. We've got to go down and see her. Please, Mr. Bald Eagle. Isn't there anything else you can do? Mr. Bald Eagle, you're wonderful. Thanks. Massey. Mama's glad to talk about my house, with Lillia's house. We'll take her to your house. We'll soon well. Don't you worry, ship. I'm gonna find out about that, boys. Nothing's gonna stop me till I do. These hills ain't bare for the weather holds, but I will remember. One good storm could start a slide that would cover the gold forever. On for three days. Where? I don't know, over towards Blue Mountain somewhere. But he might pick us up a dare for a meet through the winter. I heard he's whistling. You couldn't have. Ship must've too, she was barking. Where'd you see ship? Indian kids found her. She was almost dead. Unpoisoned. But she's all right now? Yeah, but I knew Jonathan would want to know, so I brought her back. Mr. Taylor, are you sure he's not here? I know I heard. I told you Tommy's not here. Why don't she come in? I know she's out there. Don't worry about her, Tommy. They're tired and upset. Good night's sleeping. You start home in the morning. Sit down on rest. I'll fit you some supper. You better unsightle my horse, Mr. Taylor. I'll be right back. All right, there's nothing to be afraid of. You're here, perfectly safe, and I brought you here. You've been scared, Tommy. I know that, and it's my fault. But that's because I was scared too. So scared that I almost lost my head. A man can be scared too, Tommy, even of a kid like you. Especially if that kid gets the wrong idea in his head. And you've got the wrong idea, son. You lied. You said he was hunting. Yes. Yes, I lied. Because I knew you loved Jonathan, Tommy. Almost as much as your own father. So I... Well, I didn't know how to tell you just like that. Other than his dad's son. He was working up in the canyon and he fell. It was an accident. Two days ago I found his body and... Well, I... I buried it where you saw. I was coming in tomorrow to tell you more. Where's Shepp? Shepp's all right. I saw her outside a while ago. Shepp was like you, son. She got the wrong idea too. So let's both of us forget about what happened tonight, shall we? I guess so. Sure we will. Now you get some sleep and you'll be fine in the morning. Just sleep, son, and forget the whole thing. Mel Steiner and Carl Crane. This runaway come into their camp over an oak flats last night. And I thought I remembered he was yours. They was breaking camp for winter anyway. So on the way into town, figured we'd cut across the ridge and fetch him back. Why, hello there, Tommy Boy. Hi, Mr. Pete. Gee, I'm sure glad to see you. We both are, Pete. Mighty glad. And thanks for bringing the horse back. Sure. Where's Jonathan? It's a good thing you men came along. Come inside. I'm afraid I got some bad news for you. And in thy heavenly kingdom, Lord, let him find peace. That peace which passeth understanding. Let the gold he sought on earth be his in heaven. The pure and shining gold of thy holy grace. We ask it, Lord, in his name. Amen. I'll count on you to explain everything in town. That I will. As long as you can take Tommy and the dog back for me, I'll probably stay on up here till spring. For everyone's sake, I'd like to prove Jonathan was right. You see, he was sure there was real pay dirt here. So far, we've never found it. And Pete, do all you can to help Tommy, will you? You know, kids sometimes imagine all sorts of things, and Jonathan's accident hit the board pretty hard. I'm sure you understand. I do indeed, Mr. Taylor. Pete, he's lying. Don't believe him. Please don't believe him. It wasn't an accident. Jonathan didn't fall. He killed him. I knew he did. Pete, he's lying. He's lying about everything. Tommy, boy, the boys is terrible. He hated Jonathan, and he killed him. And last night, when I found out, he tried to kill me too. He's lying, Pete. Tommy, listen to me. You say I wanted to kill you. Where did you sleep last night? Who picked you up when your horse threw you and carried you to the cabin? Well, Tommy, you slept six feet from me the whole night through safe and well. Does that sound like I wanted to hurt you? Answer me. Poisoner, you don't believe me. He said the claim didn't pay out. But it did. There's bags full of gold in that cabin. A dozen of them. If that's true, guess you can show us some. I will. Come on. He's done something with the rest. You better take these back to Martha. I was holding this hoping that I'd have a bigger haul by spring. There is more now. A lot more. Mr. Craig, can't you see he's lying? Mr. Steiner, don't believe him. Please don't believe him. Guess we'd better be going. Please, Mr. Pete. Come on, son.