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Intro
Motivated by Cousin’s Phil’s promise of better work for his father—who has a bad cough from his work at the mill—Ralph and his family relocate to Colorado in 1906. Though they find the ranch smaller and in worse condition than expected, they work quickly to improve it. They purchase new horses; build a well, privy, and barn; and form connections with their new neighbors, most notably Fred Aultland, who takes Ralph riding on his horses. Despite some early hardships, such as a railroad accident, bullying at school, and a devastating windstorm, Ralph falls in love with the ranch.
In the following months, Ralph’s family adapts to Colorado life. Ralph’s father secures a construction job, earning money to purchase a new horse, Fanny, and Fred lends them water for their crops. Ralph befriends cowboy Hiram Beckham, who affectionately dubs him “Little Britches” and lets him ride his horse. When school closes for summer, Ralph becomes a cowherd for Mrs. Corcoran, earning his first wages and improving his riding skills.
During haying season, Fred employs Ralph and his father work at his farm, paying them 50 dollars for two weeks. After haying, their horse Bill grows sick, and Ralph secretly travels to get help from Two Dog, a Native American. Though Ralph’s parents worry over his absence, Two Dog and Mr. Thompson return him home safely. With Two Dog’s help, Bill recovers.
A few weeks later, Ralph and his family attend an auction to buy a cow. Thanks to Fred secretly bribing the auctioneer, they buy two for under market value. A fight breaks out soon after over irrigation, and Ralph’s father, after several nights of fighting, brokers a compromise between the upstream and downstream ranchers. Ralph and his father continue to help Fred with his haying until the end of the summer.
After the events of the summer, Ralph returns to school with an improved reputation, earning him the nickname “Spikes.” School closes for October when Freddie Sprague gets mumps, but Ralph enjoys his time off, helping his dad build a cellar and corral. Ralph’s parents reassess their finances and are pleasantly surprised to find themselves in a better financial situation than they had anticipated. Flush with money, Ralph’s father lets Ralph buy a steel trap. Unfortunately, Ralph catches an illegal pheasant, and after lying about it, he is forced to report himself to the sheriff. Soon after, Ralph gets in trouble again for stealing chocolate. After punishing him, however, Ralph’s father asks him to be his “partner.” Ralph agrees, promising never to lie again.
School resumes, and Ralph spends the rest of the winter helping thresh beans and peas. He catches another pheasant, and, after some debate, his parents allow him to continue laying his trap for them; they make good food, and the birds had been eating the crops. The holidays pass happily, and after New Year’s, Ralph’s father implements his new irrigation system for the local ranchers. Because of the gold panic, no one has gold to pay him, but he receives compensation the form of credit, labor, and animals. While harvesting sweet clover, Ralph loses control of Bill and Nig and breaks nine toes. After recovering, Ralph meets a girl named Lucy who calls his father a fool for working hard. Ralph’s father forbids him from seeing her again, explaining that a man should work for his livelihood.
Despite the gold panic, Ralph and his family enjoy a period of relative prosperity, purchasing new livestock and trading excess produce for tools and machines. Ralph and his father do road work in exchange for reduced rent and Ralph describes it as one their family’s best winters. Though they do not earn much money, they have a surplus of food and make many improvements to their living situation.
In March, a tornado comes. It misses them, but when Ralph rides out to see its aftermath, he runs into a dangerous cloudburst and Fanny falls through a bridge. She dies, while Ralph nearly drowns. The gold panic ends, and after several weeks of no work, Mr. Cooper hires Ralph to work on his ranch for 20 dollars a month. When Ralph arrives, he discovers Hi is the cattle foreman, and that Hi has made him homemade riding accessories. For the next few months, Ralph works at Mr. Cooper’s ranch, returning home every Saturday. Though he is often homesick, Ralph loves his work. With Hi’s help, he gradually breaks and trains a blue roan colt, which he names Sky High. Soon, however, Hi informs Ralph of trouble back home: his father is taking the upstream ranchers to court for stealing water. Fearing retribution against Ralph’s father, Hi teaches Ralph’s father to shoot, lending him his pistol.
Under Hi’s guidance, Ralph continues training with Sky High. To Ralph’s surprise, he is called to perform a matched pair riding act with Hi during the local Fourth of July fair, and they win. Despite his mother’s reservations, Ralph’s father allows him to participate in another competition, the Labor Day Round Up. Ralph and Hi’s performance goes perfectly, earning them gold watches as prizes, and Ralph’s parents are proud.
In September, Ralph’s father updates him on the status of the court trial. Shortly after, Ralph and his family are shot at from a car, presumably in retaliation for his father’s actions in court. Soon after, Ralph learns of financial trouble at his family’s ranch, and his family moves to a new house in Littleton where his father finds new employment building houses. Several months later, while building the chicken coop together, Ralph’s father calls Ralph a man for the first time, proudly embracing him as an equal. Ralph claims to remember that day the rest of his life.
Ralph’s father sustains a grave injury taking their horse Babe to breed. Though he downplays the injury, his old cough returns, and he is diagnosed with pneumonia. He shares stories from his childhood and then dies several days later. After the funeral, Ralph’s mother is taken away to be treated for blood poisoning, and the children temporarily stay with members of the community. Ralph’s mother returns four weeks later physically weak but mentally strong, telling the family not to be sorry for themselves anymore. Before dinner, she nods to Ralph to say grace like his father used to, signaling that Ralph is now the man of the family.
