It was 1850, and Johnny James, an orphan to the streets of Boston, decided to go to the goldfields of California and leave the desperation of the slums behind. He'd heard the stories told in the saloons of Boston about the forty-niners who'd gone there and struck it rich and determined he could as well.

Along the way, Johnny picked up Jasper, another orphan, to go with him. Jasper brought his best friend, Billy, whose father was a drunk and didn't want him, along with them. It was Joshua, who tried to steal some of their food late one night, and because he was hungry and desperate, a runaway from his own home, the three boys fed him. All three knew what it was like to be without hope, and when Joshua begged to go to the goldfields with them, they let him.

The boys were lucky enough to join a wagon train led by the legendary mountain man, Bearcat Bob. He took them on as scouts because they were a scrappy bunch, and he could see they would be useful, even though they were greenhorns. Along the way, the four boys met mountain men who were former cohorts of Bearcat Bob's. Mean Badger Bill was aptly named, Cherokee Jim had a penchant for cheating people, but Jim Bridger was a stand-up man, much like the prospectors, Old Henry and Big River Ben, whom they would encounter once in the goldfields

It was a dangerous journey across the Great Plains, but Jasper was the only scout to be captured by Indians. Bearcat Bob traded coffee and a few pots and pans to get him back and threw a small feast for the five Cheyenne scouts who'd taken Jasper for just that purpose. Bearcat Bob knew the sign language of the Plains Indians and was already friends with many of the tribes, to the welfare of the travelers who had trusted their care to him.

After reaching the Willamette Valley in the Oregon Territory, the four boys struck out south for the Sacramento Valley where gold had been found at Sutter's Mill. The four found the American River already overcrowded with miners, but after two years of hard mining, they found enough gold to sponsor their dreams.

Johnny and Jasper returned to the Willamette Valley, where Annie awaited Johnny, to claim farmland for themselves. Billy opened a dry goods store in San Francisco, where Joshua built his luxury hotel. He'd never live in another cave.

In time, Bearcat Bob found his way to San Francisco, as well, cleanly shaven and wearing finely tailored suits. His secret, he shared with the four boys, was that before he'd gone out West as a complete tenderfoot, he'd trained as an investment banker, and had used that knowledge to create a small fortune for himself for his retirement. They were to tell no one of his secrets, he made them promise, it would spoil his reputation as a tried-and-true mountain man, which he considered his greatest accomplishment in life.