In 1927, in Kingdom County, Vermont, a large dam is to be built; however, Noel Lord, a logger and cedar-oil harvester, won't give up his lifetime lease on land that will be flooded. The dam company increases its offer of cash, but Noel refuses. He asks for a trade: a stand of pines for his lease. The company rejects that deal but offers to make Noel a ranger in a new park. Noel, meanwhile, talks with his Indian mate, the spirited Bangor, about their moving to Oregon and buying a saw mill. She wants him to take the company's money; he's pig-headed. Is Noel headed for confrontation with the company and the law or can Bangor prevail to affect a truce?