The Kidnappers

In the early 1900s, eight-year-old Harry and five-year-old Davy Mackenzie are sent to live with their stern grandfather and grandmother after their father's death in the Boer War. They relocate to a Scottish settlement in Nova Scotia, Canada. The boys yearn for a dog, but Grandaddy forbids pets and is strict about rules.

The brothers discover an abandoned baby and conceal it from the adults. They treat the infant as a substitute for the dog they cannot have. Davy asks if they should call the baby Rover.

Grandaddy has a long-running dispute with Afrikaner Jan Hooft over ownership of a hill and will not accept the ruling that the land belongs to Hooft.

Kirsty is in love with the local doctor Willem Bloem, who does not return her affection, suggesting he finds himself too old for her. Her situation reflects the strained social mores of the community.

It is revealed that the kidnapped baby is Jan Hooft's younger daughter, complicating loyalties and accusations. Harry is suspected because of the feud, but he insists he did not know the baby's identity.

Harry is put on trial in a makeshift court set up in the local trading store. He maintains that he did not know the baby's identity while the community watches.

Jan Hooft speaks up in Harry's defense, saying no harm was done and that the older daughter should have looked after her sister. The gesture shows how personal histories complicate the trial and its outcomes.

The court official suggests sending Harry to a corrective school, a proposal that horrifies Grandaddy. The clerk pulls back, proposing instead an investigation into the existence and locations of such schools.

The investigation is urged, and Grandaddy thanks Hooft for defending Harry. The moment hints at a fragile reconciliation, though tensions remain beneath the surface.

A memorable moment occurs when Duncan Macrae's horror is visible as his grandson pleads, 'Don't eat the babbie.' The scene underscores the fear and potential brutality simmering in the family and community.

Towards the end, Grandaddy, who cannot read or write, instructs Harry to write to a mail-order company to order the red setter they long for. He discovers a dog flyer tucked in one of his boots, giving them a path to obtain the dog.

To pay for the dog, Grandaddy sells a prized possession, showing the extent of his sacrifice. Davy then voices that they will name the dog Rover, sealing the puppy's future in the family.