"When sixteen-year-old Matt Logan and his friend Danny Dugan ran away from an orphanage, they went west. There, they met Jim Bridger, among other mountain men, and became fur trappers. But the market for beaver plews died out, and the two friends took on jobs as wagon train guides. They eventually separated, hoping to meet again. One of the trains Matt picks up in Independence began its journey in St. Louis, led by widower Cody McNair. Cody was a well experienced leader, having once been the captain of an ocean-going sailing ship. His adult son and daughter, Jared and Ellen, make the trip with him. Also a part of the wagon company is Lon Baker, his wife Norma, and their eight-year-old daughter, Precious. Lon had been a slave on the McNair farm. When Cody's father died, Cody had sold the farm and granted Lon his freedom. Lon, in turn, followed Cody to serve as a crewman on his ship. The two were now best friends and were embarking on this new adventure together. On the journey west, tension develops with some of the members of the train, and Cody and Matt are tasked with keeping things in check as the train endures the rigors of travel on their way to Oregon City, Oregon" --