Child of the Wilderness
A Young Boy’s Courage
by
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Running away from home, Jimmy Lee Shannon went south into the mountains around Billings Montana and surviving only on what he knew. With Bear a wolf pup he found they encountered all types of weather and faced starvation many times. What game he did manage to snare he ate raw. Finding a place to bed down, sometimes was difficult, on several occations it was no more than a hole in the ground or amoung some rocks. Like the mountain man in the 1800's who lived day to day and by their wits, Jimmy Lee Shannon only ten also lived day to day and by his wits, he never knew what he might have to face or what wild animal he might have to fight. But most of all he didn't know how long he would survive or that maybe this day he would die. As time went by and no one to talk to he soon became A Child Of The Wilderness.
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About the Book
After moving to Billings, Montana, things are finally looking up for the Shannon family—Frank, Eileen, and their two children—nine-year-old Jimmy Lee and seven-year-old Jodie. But when Jimmy is unjustly accused of stealing a gold medallion from his father’s workplace, he runs away to the mountain wilderness. After being mistreated by his parents for years, Jimmy feels this is the best option for him.
Mr. Shannon organizes a search party to look for Jimmy. After two weeks of looking, the sheriff asks a local Indian tribe for its help. The two men assigned to the task find Jimmy’s tracks, and they follow them for days. At the end of the trail, they discover a large pool of blood where a fight has taken place. All signs indicate Jimmy was attacked by a wild animal, but no remains are found.
Meanwhile, with Bear, a wolf pup, Jimmy struggles to survive on what he knows, encountering an array of challenging situations—foraging for food, fighting off wild animals, braving the ever-changing weather conditions, and finding makeshift shelter. Like the mountain men in the 1800s, Jimmy survives by relying on his wits and wonders every day whether he will live or die.
About the Author
Alan Swope was born in Pennsylvania and moved to Arizona in 1949. While growing up, he loved to hunt, fish, and pan for gold in the mountains. Swope served for two enlistments in the US Navy. He is also the author of The Lost Mission.