two more deer; their carcases freeze in the winter cold, so he does not need to smoke them. Sam feels lonely and visits the town again, where he gets a haircut and meets another teenage boy (Tom Sidler). On Christmas Eve, Bando finally arrives back at the mountain, showing Sam many newspaper articles about the "wild boy" living in the forest. On Christmas Day, Sam gets a surprise: Sam's father has come to visit. Sam is overjoyed to see his father again, and the three have a Christmas dinner of venison together. Sam's father is greatly relieved to find that Sam is doing just fine. The novel ceases to be a flashback in Chapter 18, and becomes a straightforward narrative. Sam learns many things about how animals behave in winter, even during terrible storms. After the blizzard ends, Sam must still forage for food. He is happy that a Great Horned Owl has taken up residence on the farm, for it means that no people or building developments are nearby. Sam learns how Frightful and The Baron manage to survive during winter, helps the local deer find nourishment by cutting down tree branches for them to eat, and overcomes his own vitamin deficiency by eating the right foods. After spring arrives, Matt Spell, a teenager who wants to become a reporter for the local newspaper, arrives at Sam's treehouse home. Matt wants to write about Sam's presence on the Gribley farm. At first, Sam lies to Matt and says the