Nigel Black is the major character of the story. He is quite typical kind of person. After school he left his home and started to travel around the country in order to find himself and his destination in this life. He rose together with his two younger brothers and one sister. Since his childhood he has not seen his father and he even does not know who he was, because this theme is not discussed in his family.
Nigel Black is rather strong in a physical sense. What is more, he has bright mind and kind heart. He has not very many friends. If to be precise, he has only one friend – the shop assistant Jim, who is very active and always gets into troubles because of his hot temper and desire to try something new. Jim is the kind of person who firstly does something and only after that begins to think.
Nevertheless, he is very kind and faithful. That is the reason why Jim goes to California together with Nigel. Sheriff Swan is the third main character of the story. He is in his fifties. He is very wise and honest man that tries to help everyone. During the whole story he gives many pieces of advice and hints that help to find Nigel’s family.
The action takes place in the USA in the middle of the 19th century in the period of Gold rush. One day Nigel Black receives the letter from his distant relatives. This letter tells that all his family that lives in a small village in the heart of California has disappeared two months ago. The young hero decides to leave his work at the newspaper office in New York and to go back home in order to find his family.
Nigel and Jim come to Nigel’s native village early in the morning before the sunrise. The village seems to be very strange. There is a high fence around the village. They are trying to get into the village, but the watchman does not want to let them pass. He suggests them stay out of the village and if they stay alive after the sunrise he will let them into the village. There is no way out, that is why Nigel and Jim are sleeping in the open air for some hours on the branches, moss and other staff that they have found near the fence.
In the morning the watchman let them into the village, but he still does not want to explain why he did not want to let them into the village at night.
The village is very dull and gloomy. When Nigel comes to his family house, he sees that it is ruined and plundered. The friends need somewhere to stay, but they do not have any money. That is why they go to the market and try to sell some of their clothes, books and other things.
After that they go to the saloon in order to rent a flat and to rest …