
In the sun‑lit river town of McGregor, a lanky sixteen‑year‑old named Abe Thompson drifts between jobs, his spirit as restless as the water beneath his feet. Recently ousted from a butcher’s shop over a petty accounting error, he’s become one of the many drifters who line the Midwest’s back alleys, mastering the art of “how not to do it.” His gloomy morning on the boat‑landing is broken by a sudden burst of jaunty song, drawing his attention to a curious newcomer.
That newcomer is Clarence Esmond, a flamboyant teen in a crisp sailor suit, who declares himself a devotee of the “bright‑eyed goddess of adventure.” With a voice that teeters between mischief and earnest yearning, he asks Abe to join him in a quest for boundless excitement—whether on ocean liners, dusty frontiers, or hidden trenches. Their unlikely partnership promises a spirited exploration of youthful ambition, friendship, and the strange magic that can turn an ordinary riverbank into the starting point of an unforgettable journey.
Language
en
Duration
~3 hours (226K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Mardi Desjardins & the online Distributed Proofreaders Canada team at http://www.pgdpcanada.net from page images generously made available by the Internet Archive (https://archive.org)
Release date
2016-07-16
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1859–1928
A Jesuit priest and hugely popular writer for young readers, he built adventure stories around school life, friendship, and moral choices. His books were especially beloved by Catholic boys in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
View all books