After Meg and her brother fled a cholera epidemic in St. Louis, she and her entire family are finally reunited on the prairie. But their new life is soon jeopardized not only by the struggle against slavery and those who would have Kansas be a slave state, but also by a devastating fire that threatens to destroy their home.

		May 28, 1856     The Ruffians did NOT go home. I am sitting at the foot of Blue Mound now. Here is what happened. We drove the wagon to Blue Mound. We walked to Reverend Still's cabin. But no one was there. We saw two women standing halfway up Blue Mound. Aunt Margaret stayed in the wagon with her boys. Mother, Grace, Pres and I walked up the hill to the women. One was looking through a spyglass. Mother asked her what she saw. She handed the spyglass to Mother. Mother looked through it and said, "Good heavens!" Pres grabbed for the spyglass, but I got it first. I put it to my eye. I saw something shiny. It took me a moment to understand. I was looking at thousands of bayonets sparkling in the sunlight. Each one was fastened to the barrel of a Ruffian rifle!