Twelve-year-old Matt Hallowell’s father leaves him alone in the Maine wilderness in order to fetch the rest of the family. Matt observes the log cabin he helped build: It’s not quite finished, but he knows his mother will be pleased. Still, the lonely silence all around “reached into his stomach to settle there in a hard knot” (2).

Matt and his father traveled to Maine from Massachusetts earlier in 1768. They located the land they bought, built a cabin, and planted corn. Now, Matt must guard the place for six to seven weeks until his family arrives. Before he left, Matt’s father gave him his pocket watch and rifle. Deeply moved, Matt promised to care for both. Matt’s father took the boy’s blunderbuss and reminded him not to shoot at everything he sees.

Matt retrieves his rifle, adds powder, rams a ball into the barrel, and steps outside. He sees a squirrel on a branch, aims carefully, and fires. He misses and realizes the new gun will take practice.

Matt carves notches, one for each passing day, into sticks—one stick per week. By the time Matt has notched seven sticks, his family will return, and he will have reached age 13.