Challenge to White Fang

Beauty Smith and his two henchmen raid the fur traders' camp in the Yukon, shooting and killing all of them, including Mitsah. The wolf-dog escapes the massacre and disappears with the camp's equipment. The raid sets the grim tone for the town's struggles to come.

Hours after the raid, John Tarwater buries Mitsah and brings the wolf-dog back to a nearby town. The dog survives the massacre and bonds with Tarwater's family, earning the name White Fang from Bill's observation of his ivory teeth. The new friendship marks the dog's entry into human life in the town.

White Fang befriends Bill Tarwater, John's grandson, who christens him 'White Fang' after the dog's ivory teeth. The pair quickly becomes inseparable as they navigate life in the town. The bond foreshadows the dog’s loyal role in future events.

At the local saloon, White Fang helps John Tarwater win money from a crooked card-shark. A fistfight erupts as the swindler's racket is exposed, and Bill and the dog shelter behind the bar. The scene highlights the dog’s protective instinct and its influence on the boy.

John Tarwater sets off on one of his periodic gold expeditions into the mountains. He hopes to bring fortune back to the town and to fund the hospital and community projects. The expedition marks a turning point as danger and greed exert greater pressure on all characters.

Beauty Smith lives in the town under the alias 'Mr. Forth', a wheelchair-bound businessman who hides his true predatory nature. Sister Evangelina launches plans for a hospital and asks for funding, warning of the town's needs. The townsfolk warn that Mr. Forth won't fund unless he can extract a loan with interest.

Novelist Jason Scott and Kurt Johnson, now a mines inspector, visit to expose corruption. They take their concerns to Inspector Leclerq, who is on Beauty Smith's payroll. The trio hopes to bring the truth before the law and public opinion.

A worker named Liverpool initially agrees to back Scott with money in exchange for a statement, but later reneges. He returns with news of two men harmed by overpriced supplies, and Carter suffers gangrene from frostbite, requiring amputation at the mission hut performed by Scott and Sister Evangelina.

White Fang reappears, dragging Bill and Jason Scott back to town after their sled dogs run off, leaving them stranded on a snowy plain. The dog shows affection for Bill and Scott, recalling his earlier friendship with them. The rescue brings them back into the center of the town's danger and hope.

Jane pretends sickness to lure Sister Evangelina away from the mission. Beauty Smith then tortures Carter to reveal the location of the gold stream and kidnaps John Tarwater. The mission hut is set ablaze; Carter dies and Evangelina dies from her burns while rescuing Bill.

The townspeople riot after Evangelina's death and expose Smith's schemes. In the chaos, Inspector Leclerq shoots himself rather than be exposed. Scott, Kurt, and Bill decide to confront Beauty Smith.

Scott, Kurt, and White Fang locate Beauty Smith and engage in a gun battle with his henchmen. White Fang attacks Smith, whose gunfire triggers an avalanche that buries him. The villain dies amid snow and rock as the posse presses forward.

They find John Tarwater, who has been shot and lies dying. He asks that Bill be named beneficiary of the gold stream, passing the future to the boy. Harvey reveals his plan and proposes a dog-sled race to settle the legal claim.

Harvey's dirty tricks fail when he falls from his sled and is crushed by White Fang's leading team. Scott and White Fang reach the ledger first and insert Bill Tarwater's name as owner of the claim. The town acknowledges Bill as the rightful claimant.

Jason Scott returns to Vancouver with new stories, while Kurt stays on as the town's police inspector. Bill remains with Kurt and his wife, and White Fang stays with Bill, running back to his young master as the film ends. The bond between boy and dog endures beyond the pursuit of gold.