Disillusioned and depressed, Dan Howitt leaves his city life seeking refuge from a secret anguish in the backwoods of the Ozark Mountains. Here in the hills he becomes a friend to Old Matt whose life has been shattered by sorrow; an advisor to Sammy and Young Matt; a guardian to the poor lost boy, Pete; a victim of mountain vigilantes; and finally a player in the mystery of the ghostly figure that roams the hills at night. The original reviews from 1907: "There is ... an atmosphere as fresh and sweet and free from modern grime as one would breathe on the Ozark trails themselves." New York Times "The people who move within it are so human that the reader of their story will pick them out for like and dislike, as if he had really known them in the flesh, rather than in the pages of a book." Chicago Journal The story has enough mystery and drama to keep readers wondering what will happen next while the characters work out, through revenge or acceptance, their loves, hates, and losses. Many will relate to these rough, mountain characters. Seemingly simple and dull, they face all the hardship, heartache, and challenges that people everywhere live with.
