A spirited young boy quarrels with a school bully over a handcrafted toy and a treasured match-box, while friends intervene on his behalf. Discontent and a secret plan to head for the prairie prompt him to run away from home; he stows away aboard a vessel, hides in the forecastle, and is later discovered when officers and the ship's agent board to check the shipping papers. The narrative follows his encounters, the loyalties and rivalries of neighborhood boys, and episodic adventures that test resourcefulness and the consequences of impulsive choices.