DAVY CROCKETT was only twelve years old when his father hired him out to a drover. Davy wanted to go to school and learn to read, but he was told that he must help Hunk Dorr take some cattle to Baltimore, then he could collect his wages and come home. So he set off reluctantly with Old Whirlwind, his dog.

Hunk was a tough man and a cruel master. He abused the boy and his dog and when Davy won an ox at a shooting match, he took the prize for his own. When they got to Baltimore he refused to pay Davy and insisted that he drive hogs to Charleston before he’d get his wages. It was when Hunk threatened to kill Old Whirlwind that Davy decided to run away. The boy and his faithful dog fought their way through a snow storm and were finally picked up by a friend who offered to take them home. This happy meeting proved to be an important one, for Davy met a teacher who would teach him to read and his fondest dream was to be realized.

This story covers only one incident in the life of a famous American frontiersman, but it portrays his personality, his tall tales, his ability to work and his good nature, as well as giving a fine picture of the times in which he lived and the backwoods which he loved.

Ages 8-10

From the dust jacket