An adventure story for boys, in which the author aims to "impart pleasure, and, at the same time, inspire respect for labor, integrity and every noble sentiment". There is a sense of nostalgia, as Kellogg sets his story in bygone days, when the grandfathers of his readers were mere boys, facing the challenges and perils of frontier life and developing the character needed to transform the wilderness in to the land of freedom and plenty. - Summary by Lynne Thompson