Foolishly accepting a dare from a group of boys in town, Jed Cartwright attempts to ride a mare that has not been broken and is nearly killed as a result. Calvin, a quick-witted slave who happens to witness the event, manages to bring the unruly horse under control, thus saving Jed’s life.
When Pa Cartwright learns that Calvin suffers horrendous abuse at the hands of his owner, Pa buys the poor slave from his abusive master in order to give him his freedom. Later, Pa also buys Calvin’s wife.
Pa sends Jed and Calvin to the Bentley plantation to complete the transaction and bring Violet to Meadow Green, but they learn that Mr. Bentley has sold Violet a second time to a plantation owner in another state. Jed and the heartbroken Calvin set out to overtake the new owner’s coach in a desperate attempt to rescue Calvin’s wife.
Will Jed and Calvin reach Briarwood Manor in time to save Violet from a forced marriage? Can Pa Cartwright prove that Violet no longer belongs to Elias Bentley?
In this fifth Jed Cartwright adventure, the reader learns the importance of developing a good testimony and maintaining a good name.
