Harper's Round Table, March 3, 1896, Vol. XVII., No. 853

A restless prairie family has just settled on a sod farm in western Nebraska, where the father’s failing health forces his sons to shoulder responsibilities far beyond the classroom. When word arrives that a prized Durham bull has wandered onto a rival ranch’s range, the boys—Milton, eager for adventure, and his restless friend Barney—must race against time to retrieve it before the hostile townsfolk of Alkali intervene.

Their journey takes them through the fledgling town of Garfield, past a newly‑built, poorly‑constructed courthouse that has become a flashpoint in a bitter county‑seat feud. With a wary German neighbor, Otto, offering his ponies, the boys set out on a moonlit trail, confronting the harsh prairie wind, looming telegraph lines, and the looming threat of a rival posse. The story captures the grit, humor, and camaraderie of frontier life, inviting listeners to experience the tension of a young man’s coming‑of‑age amid the open plains.