Thirteen-year-old Samuel lives with his parents on the edge of the wilderness in the British colony of Pennsylvania, a long way from the civilization of any town. Samuel knows how to hunt and how to survive in the untamed forest that surrounds his home on the frontier, where it can take days for new to arrive. There are rumors that American patriots have begun a bloody war against the English; to Samuel, the fighting in the cities and towns to the east seems far away.

   Then the war comes to him. In a savage attack by British soldiers and Iroquois, Samuel's parents are taken prisoner. Samuel follows their trail, drawing on his forest skills, determined to find a way to rescue them. Each day the confronts the enemy, and the unbelievable cruelty, tragedy, and horror of the war.  But he also discovers unexpected allies, men and women working secretly on behalf of the patriots. And he learns that he must plunge deep into enemy territory to find this parents. He must follow them all the way into the British headquarters in New York City.