A nine-year-old boy and the bobcat establish a friendship that endures through seasons of drought, dangers such as wildfire, floods, panthers and more.

But the biggest threat is the hunting of the cat by men and dogs in the Florida swamp.

Very little has been done with the life and habits of the bobcat, and the author's picture of the sleek, tough creature together with glimpses of the strange, violent life of the wilderness, makes an exciting and vivid book.

"[2] The Quarterly Review of Biology wrote, "In telling his story of the bobcat's friendship with a backwoods boy, Joseph W. Lippincott gives an excellent portrayal of the swamp lands, their wildlife inhabitants, and the forces of nature which come into play to make the lives of the animals and the existence of man precarious and tenuous indeed.

"[3] In 1963, Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color broadcast a dramatized version.