A twelve-year-old boy becomes the sole support of his abusive father and ailing mother by stealing, begging, and trading. Upon growing tired of this, he strikes out on his own by hopping a train and traveling over 200 miles away from home. He befriends an alcoholic man who steals his money. Bennie seeks revenge by poisoning the man and later contracts typhoid fever. Mr. Brewster, the conductor of the train on which Bennie stole away, finds the boy near death. He nurses Bennie back to health and takes him to raise as his own. Bennie is grateful and, for the first time, has a real home.