Reuben Stone, a young miller managing his father’s mill at Torrent Bend, has endured hardship after his father’s death. Business is slow and debts mount while Reuben works tirelessly. When dangerous financial pressures and mounting bills lead him to sell middlings for cash, tensions with local creditors intensify. During a routine trip on his sloop over Rock Island Lake, Reuben rescues passengers from a capsized vessel—a daring act that earns him unexpected praise and an offer of a sloop (the “Catch Me”) as a reward from a wealthy man. Soon after, the situation darkens. Reuben becomes entangled in a diamond robbery from a Bayport bank. Amid a series of storms on the lake, a confrontation with local boat operators and criminals—including the aggressive Andy Carney and his accomplices—further complicates matters. Reuben’s sloop is commandeered by the thieves, and he narrowly escapes violent attacks including a vicious encounter with a wolf on Rock Island. As he struggles against nature and man, Reuben is repeatedly targeted by a man claiming to be his guardian and uncle, who insists he was appointed by his father. This man, self-identified as Enos Norton, behaves cruelly and is implicated in the robbery. Reuben is eventually captured by his supposed guardian and accomplice Yates, bound and left stranded on Rock Island. After enduring a harrowing struggle to free himself—even fending off a near-fatal wolf attack—he manages to escape and eventually is recaptured by local authorities. During the ensuing chase, Reuben pursues Norton through Chester and on a train to Philadelphia. In a tense confrontation on the train, Reuben exposes Norton by pulling off a false beard, revealing that Norton is in fact Norton Bixby—a known New York criminal previously arrested for bond theft—and not his real uncle. In the trial that follows in Chester, conflicting testimonies and evidence (including a diamond found on Reuben and documents recovered from Norton’s discarded valise) cast doubt on Norton’s claims. Meanwhile, letters discovered by Reuben reveal that Norton Bixby is connected to a criminal scheme with Martin Yates and Avery; they had planned the bank heist and falsely presented themselves as Reuben’s guardians. The correspondence confirms that Reuben’s father was not involved in any wrongdoing, and that his death in South Dakota was genuine. Reuben’s steadfast testimony and the recovered papers eventually expose Norton Bixby’s fraudulent impersonation and his role in the robbery. In the final stages, police apprehend Norton and his accomplices, and Reuben is released on bail. As events settle, Reuben’s true relative—his real uncle, Enos Norton—arrives unexpectedly. This reunion reassures him that his family honor remains intact. Reuben is determined to reclaim his sloop and restore his mill, resolve the mystery of the diamond robbery, and pursue a future free from the criminal influence of the impostor guardian. Thus, Reuben’s journey is one of survival, courage, and perseverance as he navigates betrayal, physical danger, and legal peril to ultimately assert his innocence and reclaim his rightful place in his community.
By Edward Stratemeyer · First published 1896 · Genre: Adventure, Juvenile Fiction, Mystery · 33 chapters