Charlie Ryker and his young son Billy lived in the outskirts of Selkirk in the Yukon country. Billy's mother had died the year before and Billy though only thirteen had been cured rapidly in an effort tot be a companion to his father. They had set traps along the creek near their cabin. On a winter morning they were inspecting their traps when they came across a man beating his young pup. As they shouted at him he fled the away. Charlie and Billy realised why he fled when they discovered he had been robbing traps.