Meet Bud Abernathy, age nine, and his brother, Temp, age five: two cowboys determined to see the Old West. The boys are headed for the Goodnight Ranch, where their daddy once was known as "Catch'em Alive" Jack for his ability to catch live wolves with his bare hands. To get to Goodnight, the brothers and their horses, Sam and Geronimo, will have to cross the caprock, a vast desert that is the loneliest place on earth. They're determined to do it -- and to do it alone.

Some would say that the story of the boys' journey is a mighty tall tale. But it's entirely true.