Cutting Favour, 13, is called upon to cope with situations that many adults would find difficult. In the New Hampshire winter of 1802, his father has had an accident that prevents him from making the arduous journey to Salem, Massachusetts to trade for food. It is up to Cutting to go immediately or his family will starve. On his first day, he protects a girl from a man who is mistreating her; the grateful innkeepers, her aunt and uncle, ask Cutting to escort her to Salem in order to remove her from a potentially dangerous situation. During the ensuing days, Cutting's oxen are stolen and he is shot while trying to recover them. When he arrives in Salem he finds that his goods are not in demand, and he must create a market for them.