Raftmates: A Story of the Great River

Winn Caspar has never known a world beyond the pine‑rimmed banks of his Wisconsin home, yet the river calls to him like a promise of adventure. Proud of the Venture—a sturdy, hand‑built raft that carries his family’s timber and a bounty of wheat—he prepares for his first solo journey down the mighty Mississippi. The raft, with its roomy shanty and clever water‑tight cargo holds, embodies his father’s hope of turning a struggling mill into a thriving trade.

As peace returns from war, Major Caspar sees the river as a free highway to markets far downstream, where the family’s goods might finally fetch a fair price. With a small crew of friends and a mule for support, Winn sets out, his heart racing faster than a deer, ready to test his skill, courage, and the bonds of camaraderie that form on the rolling water. The opening leg of the voyage promises both the thrill of discovery and the inevitable challenges of life on a great river.