The old ship, Glory Tide, sails from San Francisco to a less than civilized lumber-camp in the Alaskan Territory. Among the cargo, smuggled whisky! With the help from a weather-worn captain and an English gentleman, a keen thinking entrepreneur embarks on a scheme to bring whisky to the northern region. In doing so, he sets in motion a collective chaos that unravels the delicate, social structure and, ultimately, binds the fortunes of all to a sacred, spruce tree. Shanghaied drunkards, professional gamblers, rogue indians, and a mythological beast, all combine to bring about this deadly, and oftentimes comical, adventure.