King of the Grizzlies

Plot

Moki, a Cree Indian in the late 19th-century West, works as a foreman on the ranch belonging to his former Army commanding officer, Colonel Pierson. Moki wears the sign of the tribal totem on his hand--a four-toed track, the mark of the grizzly bear. A grizzly bear invades Pierson's land and kills a steer, and Pierson shoots the bear and one of her cubs, missing the other. The surviving cub falls over a cliff and into a river and is swept downstream. Moki searches for the cub and learns that it has only four toes on one of its feet. He names it Wahb, which means four-toed grizzly, captures the bear, and sets him free on the outskirts of Pierson's land. Wahb survives and grows to maturity. At 3 years of age, Wahb appears and frightens a ranch hand, whereupon Pierson orders Moki to trap the bear; but Wahb avoids capture. Several years later, Moki encounters Wahb in the mountains. As the bear does not harm him, Moki concludes that a mystical tie binds Wahb's destiny with his own. Wahb reappears on the Pierson ranch at roundup time and stampedes the cattle. Pierson sets out to kill Wahb, but the wily bear doubles back and begins to track his pursuer. Moki attempts to warn Pierson of his danger but to no avail. Pierson meets the bear head on; his horse rears and Pierson is thrown. Wahb is about to attack Pierson when Moki intervenes and makes the Cree sign of friendship to the bear, causing him to lumber off. Pierson raises his rifle to shoot, but Moki stops him when he notices Wahb scratching a mark on a nearby tree. Moki interprets the tree-marking as a sign that the bear will never again return to Pierson's.

Cast