
Chapter I A STRANGE GUEST
Chapter II WAS IT A TRICK?
Chapter III AN EXCHANGE AT THE SALT LICK
Chapter IV WINTER WITH THE POTAWATOMIS
Chapter V THE LONG-KNIVES
Chapter VI ON TO KASKASKIA
Chapter VII NO ADOPTION
Chapter VIII A PEACEFUL INTERVAL
Chapter IX THROUGH THE DROWNED LANDS
Chapter X CAPTURE OF VINCENNES
In the summer of 1777 a young boy named Jim helps his parents tend a thriving Kentucky farm, a rare oasis of calm amid relentless frontier threats. His mother watches the woods with a rifle, his father clears land, and the family’s crop of melons, turnips and corn promises a hard‑won winter. Their routine is a fragile balance of hope and vigilance, set against a backdrop of whispered rumors about hostile Indian raids.
One afternoon the Hudsons hear a low groan drifting through the brush and discover a wounded Indian child tangled in vines, beside a tame horse. Despite fear of a possible trap, they decide to bring the boy and the animal back to their cabin, improvising first aid and a makeshift splint. The unexpected rescue forces the family to confront questions of mercy, trust, and survival on the edge of the wilderness.
Language
en
Duration
~2 hours (147K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Stephen Hutcheson and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
Release date
Jul 28, 2021
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
A versatile Illinois writer, she moved from newspaper-published children's stories into historical fiction for both young readers and adults. Her books often drew on Midwestern places and history, giving regional subjects a vivid, story-driven life.
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