The hawk was Cole Hawkins' Indian totem, his naming clan. He always looked for them as he rode. Their presence brought him peace and the promise of prosperity. Cole's journey begins when he is a young man. His travels take him from the battlefields of Waterloo, to England, and then, ultimately, to the foreign plains of America.

He begins his American adventure in New York but eventually finds his way to the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, following the course of the hawks that fly above. He meets many people over the course of his travels. The Native Americans seem welcoming and kind,...