David Christian is a twelve year old boy that lived in the Missouri Ozarks in the 1830s. He was orphaned when his father was killed in a tragic accident. After his home was taken from him by some unscrupulous people he and his dog Smokey set out on an impromptu journey to his uncles home near the Buffalo River in Arkansas. Unprepared for the winter trip, they are trapped by a snowstorm and have to take shelter in a large hollow tree. The story details their struggle to survive the bitter cold and obtain the food and shelter they so desperately need. They survive the winter only to be captured by Indians. Their survival story is a true to life experience that teaches many survival skills that were common everyday events during the frontier days of the Ozarks.