A young farm boy resents his father's strict rules and secretly goes fishing, is discovered and threatened with punishment, and then takes to the canal and its tow-path to find independence. The narrative follows his experiences among canal workers and travelers, a mystery about a missing tow-horse, the arrival of a canal captain who acquires a mount, and the boy's eventual return assisted by the loyal horse. The episodic tale examines youth and authority, temptation and obedience, and the bonds of loyalty that develop between the boy and the animals and people he meets along the waterway.