From his earliest days Red was neglected and abused by his mother and brothers because he was her bastard child. When forced to beg for pennies he learned the importance of money and was determined not to be poor. Going to school was a refuge, and with innate intelligence and a compulsion to learn, he became a top student. His other refuge was the nearby woods where he created a hideaway. He was a friendless loner until he met Lou. They became an adventurous pair like Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer. But their idyllic life was not to last as they approached adulthood.
