With trepidation they follow and find their wounded father. Nathan is brought face to face with an evil killer, Weasel, an ex-Indian fighter. It is Weasel who cut out Ezra's tongue although they had once been, if not friends, at least co-workers. Later, when Nathan has a chance and even a cause to kill Weasel, he does not and this choice returns to haunt him. This is a harsh story about a family on the frontier of Ohio trying to cope with evil, hatred, and revenge.
Healing comes through music as the children and their father attend a dance and fiddling contest.
When Weasel is found dead and Nathan tells Ezra what has happened, Ezra picks up the shovel to bury Weasel. Nathan is shocked and readers might like to talk about why Ezra needs to do this. This is one of many stories for young people in which the forces of good and evil are clearly drawn and students might like to make charts showing that dichotomy in other books. A debate on capital punishment is one in which students might like to engage after reading this book for Nathan's opportunity to kill a seemingly unredeemably evil man is one he regrets not taking. The U. S. government's treatment of Native Americans then and now is also a subject for further research and debate occasioned by the reading of Weasel.