Bill meets young Barnaby West, who claims he is traveling west to see his father, a famous frontiersman. Bill invites him to join the wagon train. But he and the others wonder just how much, if any, of young Barnaby's story is really true.
The staff has been noticing a camp fire behind the wagon train for a while so Bill goes out to investigate. He is greeted by a large growling dog and then a person behind him with a rifle. The person turns out to be thirteen year Barnaby West Jr. who is traveling from Virginia on foot to Sacramento to find his dad. He and Bill have supper together so when Bill doesn't return Duke comes looking for him and is clubbed over the head by the over zealous boy trying to protect himself. The boy regales Bill and others with stories about his dad as one of the greatest frontiersmen of all time. The boy is a loner but he takes to Bill who is the first father figure he has known. Barnaby and the dog, Rusty, decide to stay by themselves but Rusty's lack of friendliness toward anyone other than Barnaby and Bill cause him to get into trouble. Bill and some boys pick up the fact Barnaby is reading a dime novel which is leading to the stories about his father. What will they find, when they reach Sacramento and the wagon train disbands?—Anonymous