Life at Deacon Smith's Home for Waifs would be completely dreary if it weren't for Possum's best friend, Billy, who "thinks up lies faster than he can talk." When Billy hears that gold is hidden in the mountains, he escapes from the orphanage, taking Possum with him. The two runaways embark on a journey through the Western frontier in search of the gold. In the process, they get tangled up in a murder, spy on a lunatic, and barely manage to keep ahead of the law. Filled with colorful characters, plot twists, and dramatic scenery of the old west, this is an exciting new adventure story in the tradition of Huckleberry Finn.