In 1878, Ed Muldie leaves Kentucky with his son Johnny, age 11, and his two younger sons, to take advantage of the free land offered by the United States government through the Homestead Act. They settle in Nicodemus, Kansas, and build a dugout to live in for the winter. During the harsh winter, the people of Nicodemus are saved from starvation by the Osage Indians who bring them food. In the spring their father travels on ahead to find land and build a home. The boys stay alone with the people in Nicodemus, narrowly escaping a prairie fire. When a letter from their father arrives sending for them, they summon their courage and travel alone for 150 miles to find him. Their courage and their faith in their father carrying them home. Setting: Kansas, 1878 Guide: 21 pages; 8 sections