This picture tells the story of Lucy Dane, a Canadian lumberman's daughter, and of Will Harding's love for her. Will is a worthy young surveyor and Lucy feels honored to have his love, and returns it. Jose, a half-breed trapper, adores Lucy and necessarily dislikes Will, whom he correctly counts his successful rival. More, he bears Will a grudge for responding to Lucy's cries for help when he forced his attentions on her in a lonely neck of the woods. His chance to even matters with Will comes shortly when he fastens on the surveyor responsibility for the shooting of the latter's assistant, of which the half-breed is himself guilty, having shot the assistant from ambush in mistake for Will. Jose claims he witnessed Will's alleged deed and his falsehoods are believed by the lumbermen. Rarely are the courts resorted to in that portion of the North where these events transpired and the rough lumbermen quickly decide to lynch Will. Lucy hears of the fate intended for her sweetheart and cuts his bonds. Further, she sends the lumbermen off in the wrong direction when they set out to recapture Will. The fugitive is spied by the half-breed, who steals up from behind and attempts to knife him. The surveyor turns just in time, and in the ensuing struggle the half-breed is wounded and falls over a precipice. At this juncture Will is retaken by the lumbermen. They are leading him to his execution, when the faithful Lucy encounters her sweetheart and whispers: "Ask for a drink at the brook!" Will follows her suggestion, and on stooping to drink finds a revolver which Lucy has placed there for his use. But he is overpowered when he attempts to use the gun and despite Lucy's efforts seems doomed to die. Jose, the guilty half-breed, dying at the bottom of the precipice, calls for help. His cries are heard by Lucy, who responds and finds Jose expiring and repentant. He wishes to clear his conscience before facing his Maker and tells Lucy that he shot Will's assistant. He puts his confession in writing and, relieved, passes peacefully away. In the meantime the lumbermen have completed the preparations that will make an innocent man pay the penalty of another man's crime. Already the noose is about Will's neck and a death prayer on his lips and then, in the nick of time, Lucy arrives with the precious confession, and Will gathers his faithful sweetheart to him in the tenderest scene that ever closed a thrilling picture.