The narrative follows a young frontier hunter, Norman McNiel, and his foster-sister and grandfather as they live in a contested border region where rival settlements and land grants breed tension. Episodes move between hunting, canoe contests, trials, bear hunts, a forest tragedy, and communal efforts such as raising a meeting-house and fighting fires. Interpersonal loyalties, local honor, and the struggle to survive in wilderness conditions shape encounters among neighbors, scouts, and raiders, while a central secret held by a local woodsman influences key confrontations and the shifting fortunes of families and the township.