In 1834, fourteen-year-old Chance Early kills a man in self-defense and must leave his mountain home. He soon acquires both a slave named Lloyd and a mortal enemy named Radisson. His initial attempts to free Lloyd are unsuccessful, as Lloyd refuses to be manumitted in a slave state—but before they can leave town, Chance must fight a duel with Radisson. To make matters worse, he is being tracked by a brother of the man he killed. Will Chance live to free Lloyd and redeem himself? And will he keep his sense of humor through it all?