 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. Just wait, you see Frank Blake's eyes. When we tell him he's a millionaire. Ship and me ain't complainin'. Uh, Steve. 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 stared at Jonathan over a month ago in the morning. He 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? Lynn's buying in when he did get this from losing everything. I see. Does that make him a partner of Grabstake rights? Yes, why? Jonathan, you've made a strike. I've got something to show you. 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 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 guess you're right. 30 years I'm much scrapplin' 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 workin' and be in a partner by linin' me up some supplies. Of course, Jonathan, anything you need. Meet you in the stone a half hour. If it's all right with you, Mother, I'd like to talk a might with Tom. Jonathan, wait here! Lord's got his way of doing it to myself sometimes. Before my tears all dried up on me. Now, how about Shep here? Those hills up there for a dog. He's twice not Shep. He is? Now he's 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? Shep? Now, what the hell do you, Shep? Now, come on, come on up here. You get away. Now, come on, get away. Sandwashing up, too, with all this. How about taking her off my hand? Will you do it, Tom? Will you? You're no liar, Jonathan. I can't take Shep from you. She's your dog. Nobody else is still she dies. Thanks anyway. And look, don't talk to anybody, I bald. Will you, please? Honest to Christmas, 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. Christmas, Tommy. Merry Christmas, Ma. Look. Yes, dear, I know. Shep ended up to Shep. She agreed with him. She's yours. Merry Christmas from Jonathan. Where's Jonathan? He's gone, sir. Is it all right, Ma? Can I really keep her? That's what he wanted, Tommy. Mr. Bald Eagle? What's wrong? I don't know. I don't know. Say dog, Shep, not eat because she want to go home. To Jonathan? I don't know. I don't know. Jonathan. Mr. Bald Eagle? The Hyatt. Ma, 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. Be glad to. Gee, thanks, Mr. Taylor. You 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. So weak I couldn't get food anymore. That's what was wrong with Shep. She knew. 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 say about the food. You were right. I'd have been a fool if I had a claim. The vein peated 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. Pour it underneath or 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. Do 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 while with proper equipment, we can take that gold out 10 times as fast. Wait for something like this. And I'm not taking any chance on losing it now. Run the inlet channel across there and build a smooth box below the rapid. Let it go, Tommy. Can't you see one day's take from this, baby Taylor? Just wait. You said to yourself there are the prospectors over in Oak Valley. What if they got word somehow that we've hit it? So they came running right back here so as they could dig up all our pretty gold right in the driving range. 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. Then you stand guard. Tommy and me are worth 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. What's going on here? You keep out of this, Jonathan. 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. I'm searching around, snooping. For food. 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. Yes, Mr. Pete. Regular? No, son. I'm as irregular as it comes. You've got to have roots to be a regular parson. 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. 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. What if plenty of love in this dog for them and loves her ain't a ship? Or maybe she just likes my stew? Pete, this is from all of us. Well, in his name, I thank you. Jonathan, Tommy, Mr. Taylor, and you, too, Lady Bear. The Lord be with you in all your labors. Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. You six. Bye, Pete. Goodbye. Work for the night is coming. Tommy, you go down to work. I'll be along. Give him dust. That's a death giveaway we struck Paylorn. The old fool talks. He won't. Pete knows the law of these hills, Taylor. He lives by it. You could try doing the same. Until you do, I'm taking that gun. I keep my old gun. You're edgy, Taylor. You're getting worse every time more gold goes under that floor. It 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. No, you won't do that. There's two reasons why you won't shoot me, Taylor. The first, you won't find that pain without me. And the other, the other is just a hunch that you haven't got the guts. Word to anyone about my daughter. Even your mom. Yes, we got to take care of that boy. He don't know these trails like we do. For good this time. You're coming back. Now go on, get it. I sent Tommy home. The kid's getting lonesome for his mom. What's all the excitement? Jonathan, that vein we've been looking for. If it was up there, what would it look like? Well, uh, no, I'll tell you. The sheer face of the cliff. White quartz, the whitest you ever saw. And in it, jackets like lightning. A vein of pure gold. Gold, Jonathan, that wine. It's up there, so help me, I found it. It's up there waiting for us. Where? At the head of the canyon. Where? Well, let's go. Make things harder for me to explain. Will you get what he got? Marcy. Mama cladbook of a Micahouse with Lillia Catoche. We'll take her to your house. Be soon well. Don't you worry, ship. I'm gonna find out about that, boys. Nothing's gonna stop me till I do. You'll always remember. One good storm could start a slide that would cover the gold forever. It's blue mountain somewhere. But he might pick us up a deer for a meet through the winter. But I heard he's whistle. You couldn't have. Ship must have too. She was barking. You see, ship. Indian kids found her. She was almost dead. And poisoned. 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. I know she's out there. I'm upset. Good night's sleeping. You start home in the morning. Sit down on rest. Get her on saddle, my horse, Mr. Taylor. I'll be right back. Perfectly safe. And I brought you here. You've been scared, Tommy. I know that. And it's my fault. But that's... That's because I was scared too. So scared that I... I almost lost my head. I 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. Because I knew you loved John as much as your own father. So I... Well, I didn't know how to tell you just like that. Jonathan 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... let's both of us forget about what happened tonight. Shall we? Now you get some sleep. 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. In thy heavenly kingdom, Lord, let him find 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. Come along, Tom. I don't need 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 know he did. You say I wanted to kill you? What did you sleep last night? Who picked you up when you horsed through 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. Pete, don't believe him. That was two. That's why I tried to poison her. You don't believe me. He said the claim didn't pay out. But it did. There's bags full of gold in the 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. I was holding this hoping that I'd have a bigger haul by spraying. There is more now. A lot more. Mr. Crane, 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.