Penny and her brother Nick were running away from the orphanage when they met Ben and his sailboat. Ben had to get away before his uncle could sell the boat, and he needed a couple of shipmates. So he took on Penny and Nick, who didn't know port from starboard.

Their destination was Captiva Island in the Gulf of Mexico, where Ben was sure he could find a lion's paw, a rare shell. Ben was also sure that if he could find a lion's paw, his missing father would turn up.

Down the Florida coast, through a river and channel in the Everglades, the runaways' voyage was an idyll of good times. The two landlubbers soon caught on quickly to everything from sailing to alligator hunting. But on Captiva Island they were to find the most exciting adventures of all! 

Here is the story that captures all the romance and adventure of a runaway sailing voyage, by a prize-winning author. Ralph Ray lived for many years in the Florida region of his delightful illustrations.

From the dust jacket