Foolishly accepting a dare from a group of boys in town, Jed Cartwright attempts to ride a mare that has not been broken, and is nearly killed as a result. Calvin, a quick-witted slave who happens to witness the event, manages to bring the unruly horse under control, thus saving Jed's life.
When Elias Bentley, Calvin's hot-tempered master, learns of his brave deed, he expresses rage by forcing Calvin to spend the long wintry night outdoors, chained between two trees. The Cartwrights learn of Calvin's predicament and come to his rescue, and Pa Cartwright buys the poor slave from his abusive master in order to give him his freedom. Later, Pa also buys Calvin's wife, Violet, but does not insist on getting a receipt.
Pa sends Jed and Calvin to the Bentley plantation to complete the transaction and bring Violet to Meadow Green, but they learn that Mr. Bentley has sold Violet a second time to a plantation owner in another state. Jed and the heartbroken Calvin set out to overtake the new owner's coach in a desperate attempt to rescue Calvin's wife.
Will Jed and Calvin reach Briarwood Manor in time to save Violet from a forced marriage? Can Pa Cartwright prove that Violet no longer belongs to Elias Bentley?
In this fifth Jed Cartwright adventure, the reader learns the importance of developing a good testimony and maintaining a good name.
166 pgs | Paperback | Ed Dunlop