Summary

All members of the town gather to help collect sap from the trees and hardly anyone attends school. When the sap turns to syrup, the entire town is excited. Still, it seems there will be an early end to the syrup and Catherine's father compares the turning of the sap to a child turning into a man. It takes time and patience. Joshua Nelson's mother has a cow's horn go through her cheek. Joshua is Catherine's classmate who always seems to have trouble. One day, a strange man comes to town asking for Mr. Jeremy Preston. Catherine finds out the gentleman used to work for Mr. Preston as a boy and one night after being beaten for spending time with girls, the boy left with Mr. Preston's money. He had many adventures and after saving his shipmates from pirates, was presented to the...