The Situation of Wolf

October and November of 1900, the Canadian mountains during the time of the "gold rush." Sergeant Eyot of the mounted police is surprised on the plain by the woodsman Smart, working for the gold prospectors Dyndy, Ježíšek, and Plonek, who left their comfortable city life in America and set out north in search of wealth. Among the gold prospectors is also Plonek's wife Anna. Smart is entitled to a one-fifth share of the extracted gold. Smart and Eyot realize that the cold winter is approaching soon. They warn the prospectors to leave the cabin as quickly as possible and head to the city of Mortmain, four hundred miles away, a journey that will take them twenty days. The prospectors, however, do not have sufficient supplies and plan to leave in three days. Eyot stops at an old lumberjack Kotowski's cabin in Krejcarova Hollow, ninety miles from the gold prospectors' camp, during his journey to Mortmain. A snowstorm traps the prospectors, Anna, and Smart in the cabin. They have little supplies, some of which have been eaten by a bear. After a few days, Smart resorts to a desperate act: to make their supplies last longer, he kills Ježíšek and Plonek. He plans to kill Anna and Dyndy as well, but they overpower him. Anna tries to kill the murderer, but Dyndy does not allow it. They decide to go to Kotowski to pass a judgement. Dyndy buries Ježíšek and Plonek and sets out with Anna, tied up Smart, and five bags of gold to Krejcarova Hollow. There, they find Kotowski, his wife Elsie, and their youngest seven-year-old son Nizy. Kotowski, whose leg was crushed by a fallen tree, disagrees with Smart's action but understands the motivations that led him to this step. He cannot pass judgement upon him. Twenty-five years in this region have taught him to understand nature and its cruel laws. Therefore, Dyndy decides to take Smart to trial in Mortmain. He takes sleds and Kotowski's dogs for the journey. They are joined by Nizy, whom they are to deliver safely to his older sister Belinda in Mortmain. On the dangerous journey, they must contend with freezing weather, snowstorms, treacherous terrain, and hungry wolves. One night, they plan to spend the night on the Moon Plain. The dogs are frightened by a snow hare and disappear into the darkness still with Anna and Nizy on the sled. Dyndy and Smart later find the unharmed Nizy, who fell out of the sled. At night, the dogs return without Anna. In the morning, Dyndy, Nizy, and Smart find Anna dead on the snowy plain. Eventually they decide to bury her and continue their journey. The boy receives one bag of gold. Smart tries to escape, but Dyndy catches up with him and brings him back. To keep an eye on him, Dyndy decides to stay awake at night. After several days without sleep, he is so exhausted that shortly before reaching their destination, he decides to deliver justice to Smart himself. The partially reconciled murderer wishes to be shot, but Dyndy wants to hang him. In the morning, while Nizy is still asleep, the Dyndy takes Smart into the woods and hangs him after his last futile attempt to free himself. Dyndy and the unsuspecting Nizy set off to Mortmain, singing songs. They have only a day's journey left. (Based on the original script)