Joe Harney heads to Alaska during the great gold rush of 1898 and finds himself impressed by a great wolf dog owned by Andrew Steen, a crusty, bad-tempered loner. When Harney saves Steen's life, Steen grudgingly agrees that they can travel overland together. On that harsh journey, they meet Kate Winslow and learn that she is headed for Circle City to meet up with a man who wants her dead. This is a tale of the tough and often ruthless folks who risked their lives to get to the frozen north and, with any luck, to find their fortune.