Richard's self-made father can't even be near him without losing patience, and decides Richard needs a good lesson in life. He sends him (kicking and screaming) off to St. Louis with $30,000 Richard is to deliver for a business deal.
On the way, Richard dismissively calls one of the steam ship's crew members an "animal". The crew member retaliates by attacking Richard after they land in St. Louis, stealing his money, then forcing him to sign a contract making him an indentured servant on a trading expedition for two years, a fate far more satisfying to the crew member (who thinks it's funny)than it would be to kill him. Everyone is threatened all around in order to ensure that Richard does his time on that expedition. And so Richard embarks on a journey experiencing life as he had never imagined it in Boston.
This is a wonderful, gripping story. The writing is excellent, the characters are colorful and well-drawn and the meticulous detail brings the American wilderness to life.
I highly recommend this book!