Written in the spirit of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer not on a Mississippi River raft but on the railroads and highways of South Dakota this book captures the hopes aspirations and excitement seeking of two South Dakota adolescent boys Share the high adventure of Carl and Wes as they ride the freights and hitchhike across South Dakota and back seeing the wonders of the Bad Lands Mt Rushmore and the Black Hills all on a shoestring budget Meet their generous benefactors who help them along the way many of whom are regular folks Others are distinctive colorful characters Enjoy the scenery the exotic color and strangeness of the Bad Lands the penetrating force of Mt Rushmore and the dark mystery of the Black Hills Laugh at Carl and Wes as they explore the excitement of a casino and the secrets of a bordello Cringe as they cope with the dangers of freight trains and fight against continued incarceration by a local police chief interested in furthering his political career Grieve as they are locked in a box car and left on an isolated railroad siding Finally rejoice as they make their final part of their journey home sitting inside a passenger train