The Campers Out; Or, The Right Path and the Wrong

"The Campers Out; Or, The Right Path and the Wrong" by Edward Sylvester Ellis is a tale from the 1800s that follows Jim McGovern, Tom Wagstaff, and Billy Waylett, three young lads cooking up a plan to skip town and seek thrills out West, where they dream of taking on Native Americans and grizzlies. When the boys hatch their scheme, it triggers a series of events that soon spiral out of control. We meet the friends while they're still stuck in school as they secretly meet. Fueled by youthful energy and a thirst for adventure, the boys begin collecting money in ways that are morally questionable, revealing both how mischievous and inexperienced they are. All of their planning and misadventures put them on a path toward trouble, pushing them into a crisis about right and wrong.