In the years after the American Revolution, a caravan of pioneer families crosses the mountains into the unbroken wilderness the Native peoples call Kain-tuck-ee. Among them is fifteen-year-old Henry Ware, whose fascination with the forest sets him apart from the rest of the settlers. Guided by the seasoned frontiersman Tom Ross, Henry helps establish a new outpost deep in the Kentucky woods and is soon tested by drought, wildfire, and mounting conflict with the Shawnee who claim the same hunting grounds. When he is taken captive, Henry must rely on the very woodcraft and instincts he has cultivated to survive — and to protect the community he has come to call home.

First published in 1907, The Young Trailers launched Altsheler's beloved eight-book series following Henry Ware and his friends — Paul Cotter, Tom Ross, Jim Hart, and Shif'less Sol — through the dangers and discoveries of the early American frontier. Blending outdoor adventure with genuine respect for wilderness life, it remains a classic of American frontier fiction for young readers and adults alike.