1. Throughout the novel, Jeff demonstrates a knack for dealing with animals.

He has easily trained Ring, and he quickly wins the friendship of Dixie, Sully, and even General Blunt's supposedly vicious bulldog. Likewise, he knows how to manage the various horses, oxen, and cows he encounters.

What does this talent reveal about Jeff's character? How does Keith's description of this talent prepare the reader for the resolution of the novel's crisis?

2. What kind of man is Captain Asa Clardy? How does Keith reveal the extent of his evil character? What combination of events and background facts make Jeff his enemy? Is Jeff in any way responsible for the hostility that results?

3. When Jeff joins the Union Army, he is accompanied by two friends, John Chadwick and David Gardner. In the army, he meets a number of other young recruits, some of whom are killed...