Two Ways of Becoming a Hunter

In Short

Harry Castlemon’s 1892 juvenile novel contrasts two very different paths to the hunting life. In a small post-war American town, the diligent widow’s son Oscar Preston works hard at taxidermy and legitimate market-shooting to clear his family's home mortgage. Meanwhile, his pampered, rebellious acquaintance Leon Parker and city cousin Frank Fuller play truant, steal funds, and run away West to become big-game trappers. Castlemon's tale endures for its crisp narrative pacing, vivid woodcraft lore, and clear moral vision of self-reliance versus headstrong folly.

The Story

The plot opens in a village school community where Frank Fuller, a discontented boy from Boston, convinces his cousin Leon Parker to skip school. Restless and resentful of authority, the pair spend their day tramping the woods. While out in the forest, Leon recklessly shoots at Bugle, a prized hunting hound belonging to Oscar Preston, to avenge a petty grievance over animal snares.

Unlike the privileged runaways, Oscar is an industrious young man who faces immediate hardship. When he is abruptly discharged from his clerkship at Mr. Smith's grocery store due to a false accusation of theft, he does not despond. Encouraged by his widowed mother, Mrs. Preston, and aided by his loyal, stout-hearted friend Sam Hynes, Oscar turns his natural talents toward taxidermy and duck hunting. He sets out to earn enough money to meet the payments on his mother's mortgage held by a sharp local creditor. Oscar’s skill in mounting bird specimens and his heroism during a stormy rescue on the river earn him the patronage of wealthy scholars and naturalists. His scientific work catches the attention of a museum committee, ultimately securing him an official, paid commission as a professional collector sent West to obtain specimens of native wildlife.

In stark contrast, Leon and Frank sink deeper into deceit. Fearing punishment for truancy and determined to live what they imagine is a grand, unrestricted life on the frontier, they plot to flee home. Leon steals his own bankbook from his mother's bureau, while Frank secures a gun from a locked case. Taking their savings, the runaways board a train for the Western plains, planning to buy an outfit and hunt big game.

Their romantic notions instantly collapse upon reaching the frontier. At a prairie hotel, they fall in with Eben, a treacherous ex-post-hunter who recognizes their ignorance. Eben quickly swindles and robs them. As the boys panic, they split up under pressure. Frank finds himself hiding under horse-drawn wagon quilts from the very outlaw he trusted, while Leon contracts a severe illness and ends up stranded, penniless, and half-frozen at a remote military post. Just as Leon gives up all hope, Oscar Preston arrives at the fort—not as a disgraced fugitive, but as an honored, salaried field taxidermist for a scientific institution. Oscar rescues his former townmate, offering a striking lesson in the true path to independence.

How It Unfolds

Rebellion in the woods Frank convinces Leon to skip school, and during their illegal outing in the forest, Leon foolishly shoots Bugle, the hound belonging to the hardworking Oscar Preston.

Discharge and determination Oscar loses his grocery job under false suspicion, but refuses to yield to despair, resolving instead to support his widowed mother through taxidermy and duck hunting.

Vindication and opportunity Sam Hynes exposes the real thief at the grocery store, clearing Oscar's name, while Oscar's masterful mounting of game birds attracts the attention of visiting naturalists.

The runaway scheme Resentful of parental discipline, Frank and Leon steal their own savings, swipe a rifle, and board a train for the Western frontier to become trappers.

Swindled on the plains Reaching the West, the naive runaways hire Eben, a ruthless former post-hunter who promptly robs them of their money and leaves them stranded.

Rescue at the fort Leon falls dangerously ill and friendless at Fort Laramie, only to be found and saved by Oscar, who has arrived on an official, well-paid scientific expedition.

The People

• Oscar Preston wants to pay off the heavy mortgage on his mother's home and establish himself in a respectable trade. Facing unjust dismissal and tight finances, he relies on patience, honesty, and manual skill, ultimately transforming his love of woodcraft into an official museum career.
• Leon Parker wants freedom from schoolroom discipline and parental oversight. Guided by quick temper and weak resolve, he succumbs to his cousin's bad influence, resorts to theft, and suffers severe hardship on the frontier before learning the value of obedience.
• Frank Fuller wants an exciting life of runaway adventure like the stories he reads. His deceitful nature leads him to forge excuses, manipulate his cousin, and foolishly trust frontier outlaws, leaving him terrified and penniless on the trail.
• Sam Hynes wants to support his best friend Oscar through every trial. Cheerful, strong, and straightforward, he fearlessly confronts dishonest grocers and aids Oscar during river rescues and hunting trips.

In Its Own Voice

"I declare, Frank, it is time we were off. It is almost nine o'clock. I wish to goodness there were no such things as school-houses and school-books in the world."

The tale opens with Leon Parker voicing his irritation at daily discipline, setting in motion the misguided truancy that drives the plot.

"He ran along with his nose close to the ground, wagging his tail vigorously, and so intent was he upon his work that he did not immediately discover the boys."

Castlemon depicts the innocent hound Bugle on the trail just moments before Leon's cruel shot.

"I thought at first it was Oscar Preston. He looks like him, walks like him, and dresses like him."

Near the climax, a sick and destitute Leon sits on the fort steps, amazed to see his steady acquaintance arrive as an accomplished professional hunter.

What It's Really About

Beneath its adventure plot, the novel presents a sharp moral argument regarding the true nature of independence and work. Castlemon contrasts two distinct philosophies of boyhood: the reckless desire to throw off restraint, which leads directly to vulnerability and ruin, versus disciplined self-application, which yields true freedom. The book argues that real outdoor mastery is not achieved by running away with a gun, but through patient study, technical skill, and personal integrity. It explores how honesty and filial duty equip a young person to handle real-world dangers, whereas deceit leaves one helpless against hardship and predatory outlaws.

Why Read It Today

This classic late-nineteenth-century juvenile tale will appeal to readers who enjoy traditional American outdoor stories, vintage woodcraft, and clear moral dramas. Castlemon writes with a brisk, unpretentious pace that captures the technical details of small-boat handling, duck decoys, fox hunting, and taxidermy with convincing historical accuracy.

Modern readers should be prepared for the story's period conventions: the prose features occasional phonetic dialect among rural figures, straightforward moralizing common to 1890s youth literature, and classic outdoor hunting practices of the era. Yet the narrative remains crisp and readable. The contrast between Oscar’s practical craftsmanship and the runaways' harsh reality check gives the book a satisfying, grounded momentum that keeps its historical charm intact.