Lee
and Johnny Scott are back—and so is Old Sam—in this sequel to Old Sam,
Dakota Trotter. Despite the disfiguring injury that ended Old Sam’s
career as a champion thoroughbred trotter, he is still as fast—and as
canny— as ever, an indispensable help for the Scott family in their new
home. Then, Old Sam mysteriously goes missing. Johnny figures that any
thief who dares to steal that horse will soon be sorry. With the help of
Lee and their gang of friends, Johnny soon has things well in hand,
finding Old Sam’s track, setting up a communication system that works
with mirrors and well-placed minions—and generally running circles
around his elders. And, of course, Old Sam does not let his boys down.
That Johnny also encounters some sobering moments in his headlong
pursuit of justice is a sad, perhaps unavoidable, consequence in a way
of life still on the fringes of civilized society.
Both books about Old Sam and the Scott family are based on the
author’s true-life, homesteading experiences in what is now the
southeastern region of the state of North Dakota.
The first Old Sam book: Old Sam, Dakota Trotter