 Jessica flies to Indian territory in British Columbia (Canada) and gets stuck because of plane trouble in Dominion, a town near Hobart Creek, where the Aurora Hills Mining Company is denied passage by armed natives, despite a contract signed by the territorial government, till old Joe Qquill convinces them to wait a few days for legal action, which comes in the person of Jessica s locally born co-passenger Peter Henderson, a cynical realist, who warns Joes grandson, nature-drawing artist George Quill, to stop using arms. Mine executive Rick Shipley and another miner rough up George till they notice Jessica approaching; he tells her to forget about it as the police never believes an Indian; meanwhile Henderson goes out with police Sgt. Hilda Dupont. Shipley warns Joey to call of George before it gets really dangerous, but is blackmailed himself by retired RCMP cop Hamish McPherson, also flown in with Jessica, who recognized him as escaped Mountie-killing bank robber Nicholas Jensen Davis; he is killed by dynamite, according to Shipley the sticks stolen from the mine by George, under the bridge where he would have been paid and drove to in the mining company truck Shipley lend him. George is arrested, but Jessica doesn t believe Shipley was the target, even after the stolen dynamite case with three sticks missing is found hidden in Georges home. Next Shipley is found dead by bullet, apparently suicide, but only two hours after he booked a flight. Jessica comes up with a surprising theory and proves it.